Drugs that are being used to gain penis-erection are helpful to enhance working mechanism of Herceptin, a cancer drug. In order to treat brain tumors, a drug must get through the blood-brain-barrier to prevent cancer to other healthy cells of brain. A research, by Dr. Keith Black at Cedars-Sinai’s Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute, found that drugs like viagra and levitra can help anti-cancer drug to reach cancer-infected cells.
Blood-brain barrier is separation of blood and brain fluid (cerebrospinal fluid or CSF). Brain stays almost afloat in this fluid. This separation occurs in all capillaries with the help of a junction. Separation keeps harmful and toxic substances away from brain.
To prevent metastasization (process where one cancerous cell infects other cell) of brain, cancer drug has to penetrate this barrier. This barrier makes it difficult to treat tumor as it prevents drug chemical to reach brain.
Dr. Black, who's been studying the blood-brain barrier for about two decades, believes this finding will have major impact on the way brain tumor is being treated. According to Dr. Black chemotherapy drug (doxorubicin) and anti-cancer drug (Herceptin) will have little or no effect unless they can break into Blood-brain barrier.
Viagra and Levitra increases permeability and help large molecule anti-cancer drug, such as Herceptin, to cross the barrier and reach the target cells.
Dr. Black and his team conducted a research on Mouse. They found that delivery of Herceptin increased by two fold when given with Sildenafil Citrate (Viagra).
Blood-brain barrier is separation of blood and brain fluid (cerebrospinal fluid or CSF). Brain stays almost afloat in this fluid. This separation occurs in all capillaries with the help of a junction. Separation keeps harmful and toxic substances away from brain.
To prevent metastasization (process where one cancerous cell infects other cell) of brain, cancer drug has to penetrate this barrier. This barrier makes it difficult to treat tumor as it prevents drug chemical to reach brain.
Dr. Black, who's been studying the blood-brain barrier for about two decades, believes this finding will have major impact on the way brain tumor is being treated. According to Dr. Black chemotherapy drug (doxorubicin) and anti-cancer drug (Herceptin) will have little or no effect unless they can break into Blood-brain barrier.
Viagra and Levitra increases permeability and help large molecule anti-cancer drug, such as Herceptin, to cross the barrier and reach the target cells.
Dr. Black and his team conducted a research on Mouse. They found that delivery of Herceptin increased by two fold when given with Sildenafil Citrate (Viagra).
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