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Clonogenic cell studies with human brain tumors: BCNU‐resistance
Author(s) -
Geros Massimo A.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
international journal of developmental neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.761
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1873-474X
pISSN - 0736-5748
DOI - 10.1016/0736-5748(85)90120-0
Subject(s) - citation , clonogenic assay , library science , computer science , cell , biology , genetics
Inadequate drug delivery to the brain, caused by an intact or partially intact blood-brain barrier (BBB), probably accounts for poor therapeutic responsiveness to cytoreductive drugs by malignant metastatic and primary brain tumors. Drug delivery can be enhanced in normal brains and brains with tumors by administering drugs into the carotid or vertebral circulation after osmotic opening of the BBB. The osmotic procedure in humans invclves infusion into the carotid or vertebral arteries of a 25% mannitol solution for 30 s. The procedure is reversible, can be accomplished without long-term neurological deficits, and can be monitored in dogs and humans by means of enhanced computerized tomography. Osmotic BBB disruption, when combined with multiple drug administraiton, has proved effective in treating brain tumors in a small number of clinical cases.