Twenty-four hours. That is how long nitrate levels stayed elevated in brain tumor tissue after treatment with a modified form of vitamin B12, while levels in normal tissue dropped faster. The finding, from animal experiments, is the core result of a new Oncoscience study on glioblastoma.
The bottom line: it is early, and no treatment is available.
By the numbers
Most glioblastoma patients survive less than 15 months, even with surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. The blood-brain barrier is one fundamental reason, because it blocks most drugs from reaching the brain at therapeutic concentrations.
The compound is nitrosylcobalamin (NO-Cbl), a vitamin B12 molecule engineered to release nitric oxide, which can kill cancer cells. Dr. Joseph A. Bauer of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation Taussig Cancer Center and Nitric Oxide Services, LLC led the research. It used three models: cell lines from the NCI-60 human tumor panel, rats with glioblastoma tumors, and human glioblastoma cell lines.
Results, in short:
NO-Cbl crossed the barrier after systemic administration in animals. It collected in glioblastoma tissue rather than normal brain tissue. And with TRAIL or temozolomide, it suppressed growth in U87 and D54 glioblastoma cells more than any treatment did alone, with synergy across several doses.
Against the NCI-60 panel it showed antitumor activity across multiple cancer types. Cells from the central nervous system were moderately sensitive.
What it does not show
This is preclinical work. It does not establish that humans would respond the same way. MedicalDaily noted that the compound has not entered Phase I trials, and that human glioblastoma, with its dense surrounding tissue, is hard to model in animals. The authors call the study a pilot and say further research must come before clinical use.
MedicalDaily also had a warning for patients. The compound is a modified molecule, not the B12 sold as a supplement, and standard supplements are not designed to target tumors. Its advice for anyone worried about neurological symptoms was to see a neurologist or primary care provider, since imaging is needed to tell glioblastoma from migraine and other conditions.
Planned next steps include optimizing doses, tracking nitric oxide activity over longer periods and testing in other central nervous system tumor models.
Sources
- New vitamin B12 therapy shows promise against deadly brain cancer
- Scientists Used Vitamin B12 to Sneak a Cancer-Killer into the Brain, and It Worked on Tumors in Animal Studies
