close this window
ED Drugs Break Through Blood-Brain Tumor Barrier
Although it’s unlikely to be incorporated into the ubiquitous marketing campaigns for erectile dysfunction drugs, a significant off-label use of the medications may have been identified by researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. In a laboratory study conducted on rats, the research team used erectile dysfunction drugs to increase the amount of a chemotherapy drug that was able to cross the blood-brain tumor barrier and thus attack the tumor — without affecting healthy brain tissue.
The normal blood-brain barrier serves a salutary purpose, protecting the brain from infections by preventing bacteria in the bloodstream from entering the brain, but the blood-brain tumor barrier hampers the effectiveness of anti-tumor medications by blocking transport of the drugs into tumors.
“We chose adriamycin for this study,” explained lead researcher, neurosurgeon Keith Black, “because it is one of the most effective drugs against brain tumor cell lines in the laboratory but it has very little effect in animals and humans because it is unable to cross the blood-brain tumor barrier.”
Although Viagra commands more than 60 percent of the ED drug market , which totaled $2.7 billion in worldwide sales in 2006, it turns out that Levitra — which ranks a distant third among the three ED drugs currently on the market — was more effective than the market leader at breaching the blood-brain tumor barrier. “The combination of vardenafil [Levitra] and adriamycin resulted in longer survival and smaller tumor size,” said Black. (The study was not funded by the makers of either Viagra or Levitra.)
Control-group rats with brain tumors survived 29 days, while those treated with only vardenafil or only adriamycin survived longer. Those treated with a combination of the two drugs, however, lived longest of all — 53 days — allowing the rodents to “get back in the game” nearly twice as long as their peers in the control group.
word on the street
more in this section
Gender Wage Gap Skewed By Survey Flaws
‘Orcas as Slaves’ Argument Sinks
The Perceived Delicacy of the Female Conductor
Prop Planes: The Future of Eco-Friendly Aviation?
House Puts Transportation in Partisan Crossfire
A Perennial Epicenter, Now for Same-Sex Marriage
Prop 8 May Be Same-Sex Couples’ Least Worry
EarthScope: A Seismic Shift in Data Gathering
Pressure to Conform Can Inspire Creativity
Learning to Read When a School System Falters
also by this author
Amy R. RamosAmy R. Ramos began her career working in local government, where she became familiar with numerous public policy issues, including land use and indige...
Modern Marriage: Standing on CeremonyRegarding same-sex marriage, there’s less daylight than might be expected between religious conservatives and some LGBT activists.
Found in TranslationFormer Mexican President Vicente Fox may be a conservative, but certainly not one recognizable in El Norte.
‘Squeeze’ Against the MachineAuthor Steven Greenhouse’s Rx for better workplaces: tougher enforcement and friendlier policies.
Can Development Reduce Poverty?The economic opportunities found in inner cities should attract private investment, although a nudge from government can overcome traditional inertia.
Moving Inner Cities Out of the Red, Into the BlackResearchers say America’s chronically underserved urban cores are an untapped market that can sustain private investment — and turn themselves around in the process.
Receive 1 year (6 issues) of our print magazine for just $14.95. Miller-McCune features polished, in-depth reports on research and solutions across the policy spectrum — from health care, education and energy to international affairs, poverty and the global economy. It's a must read for well-informed and solutions-driven individuals.
follow us on:
join our newsletter:
from the source
A lot of people say they watch the Super Bowl mostly for the ads. But it turns out a good game surrounding those ads makes them seem better.
After decades of obstacles hindering the voting process, new laws will allow overseas and military voters to submit their votes in time for the 2012 election.
World health leaders announce coordinated push to eradicate or control neglected tropical diseases.
A survey of award-winning children’s picture books from 1938 to 2008 suggests our increasing estrangement from the natural environment.
Rather than moaning about too many cars on the road, the Ridesharing Institute says the real key to battling traffic congestion and pollution is filling empty passenger seats.
