A nose spray version of a cancer drug reached the brain better in lab tests
Original title: Intranasal Pacritinib-loaded nanoemulsion for Glioblastoma management: In Vitro, ex Vivo, 3D spheroid and In vivo brain biodistribution studies.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was done in animals, not people. Most findings at this stage never become treatments.
This was only done in cells and in animals, not in people.
The short version
Scientists made a nose spray form of a drug called pacritinib, and in lab and animal tests it got into the brain better than the plain drug.
What was studied. Researchers built a liquid nose spray that carries the drug pacritinib in tiny droplets. They tested it on glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary cells in a dish, on small lab-grown tumor balls, on nasal tissue outside the body, and in animals.
What they found. The nose spray form got into tumor cells better than the plain drug. It killed more cells in the dish and slowed the lab-grown tumor balls more than the plain drug. It also passed through nasal tissue better, and it did not appear to harm the lining of the nose. In animals, more of the drug reached the brain with the nose spray than with the plain drug.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This is an early sign that a nose spray might be one way to get this drug into the brain, since the drug does not dissolve well in water and has trouble reaching the brain on its own. Right now it only tells us the idea is worth testing further.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean there is a new treatment for glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary. The work was done in cells, in tissue samples, and in animals. It was not tested in people at all. Results in cells and animals often do not carry over to people. This is not a cure, and it is not something a doctor can offer you. It is many steps away from everyday care.
Source: PubMed, August 5, 2026 · Read the original
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