Vitamin B12-like drug shows promise in preclinical glioma study
An experimental therapy designed to mimic vitamin B12 and deliver a toxic molecule to tumor cells showed promise as a potential treatment for an aggressive form of glioma in a preclinical study.Data suggest that the investigational treatment, NO-Cbl (Nitrosylcobalamin), may act in synergy with currently available chemotherapy treatments.
The study, “Selective blood–brain barrier penetration and tumor targeting of nitrosylcobalamin in glioblastoma: Pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, and synergistic activity with trail and temozolomide,” was published in Oncoscience.
In a press release, the journal said the therapy “may represent a novel platform for improving therapeutic delivery and overcoming treatment resistance in one of the most challenging cancers in neuro-oncology.”
Overcoming Glioblastoma Challenges
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most aggressive and hard-to-treat forms of glioma.Part of the reason it’s difficult to treat is that it grows in the brain, and it’s difficult to get medications from the bloodstream into the brain.The blood-brain barrier (BBB) normally helps prevent toxins in the blood from entering the brain, but it also blocks many medications.
About Vitamin B12 and NO-Cbl
Vitamin B12 (also known as cobalamin) is a nutrient that cells require for a range of biochemical processes, particularly for making new DNA.Since cancer cells, by definition, rapidly copy their DNA and divide to make new cells, they tend to express high levels of the receptor that takes up vitamin B12.
NO-Cbl (Nitrosylcobalamin) is an investigational anticancer agent that utilizes a Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) molecule bound to nitric oxide (NO).It acts as a targeted pro-drug designed to selectively deliver nitric oxide into tumor cells while minimizing toxicity to healthy cells.
How NO-Cbl Works: Cancer cells rapidly divide and replicate, which requires high amounts of nutrients like Vitamin B12.To sustain this, they overexpress B12 receptors on their surfaces.
