Russian scientists have created a unique device for the treatment of glioblastoma

Russian scientists have created a microfluidic platform that replicates the blood flow in the brain. It is able to support the vital activity of glioblastoma cells, one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer, which is difficult to treat.

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The researchers found that the device, when exposed to red light, stimulates the activity of ion channels in cells and enhances the penetration of temozolomide, one of the main drugs for the treatment of this tumor.

"Ion channels work like pumps — they pull molecules into the cell. Temozolomide needs to enter the nucleus to destroy the cancer cell. Red light accelerates the opening and closing of channels, the concentration of the drug in the cell increases faster, and the cell dies. In experiments, we managed to destroy up to 95-98% of glioblastoma cells, which is five times more than in control samples without stimulation," Alexander Markov, head of the study and associate professor at the Institute of Bionic Technologies and Engineering, told Izvestia.

In the future, the researchers want to use the platform to select hybrid therapies for other forms of cancer.

Scientists from the Institute of Bionic Technologies and Engineering together with the Experimental Biotherapy group of the Institute of Regenerative Medicine of Sechenov University worked on the creation of the microfluidic platform.

Read more in the Izvestia article:

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