Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Using Mice To Improve Brain Tumor Research

By Rob Sutter


According to Medical News Today, a new study had been done regarding growths in the brain with mice. These creatures have been utilized in brain tumor research efforts before, of course, and some of the finest results have come to the surface. When there are efforts seen amongst these mice, it is very likely that humans will be able to benefit from them in some way or another. I believe this to be the case after reading up on the results that came from this particular study.

The article talked about how those within the John Hopkins University School of Medicine have been able to bring this drug into great effect. For those of you not in the know, 5-azacytidine may be able to prove useful in the realm of brain tumor research. You have to keep in mind that it had a previous effect on pre-leukemia in the past. It has since been utilized in this study, which should be focused on by organizations such as Voices against Brain Cancer.

The drug has been able to target a mutation in gliomas, which are seen as the most common and aggressive growth found in the body. The mutation within it has been referred to as IDH1 and it was previous identified in tumors back in 2008. From what has been learned, it's been seen in about 70 to 80 percent of lower-grade and progressive types of cancer in the brain. Its main function is to disrupt the function of protein of processing glucose into energy for cognitive action.

The study went on for a period of 14 weeks and the impact of 5-azacytidine had proven itself to be, to say the least, beneficial. Tumor growth in mice went down tremendously and a relapse did not occur since that point. It didn't even stop seven weeks after the use of the drug in question had been stopped. I do not think that you need me to tell you that this is extremely beneficial for those who have seen difficulties in terms of therapies and tumor regression.

It's difficult to predict when tumor regression is going to be seen in different studies but the truth of the matter is that it happened here. I don't think you need me to tell you just how important this is to brain tumor research efforts. Mice were treated well as the progression of their growths had been reduced and I have to believe that humans will be able to benefit from this process as well. It's just a matter of time as studies are undoubtedly going to be shifted.




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