Nose-delivered drug particles shrink brain tumors in animals
Original title: Polyphenol-engineered selenium nanocatalysts enable neuroprotective glioblastoma chemoimmunotherapy via nose-to-brain delivery.
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 animals, not in people.
The short version
Scientists sent a cancer drug into the brain through the nose in animals.
What was studied. Researchers made tiny particles that carry a cancer drug called afatinib. They gave the particles through the nose in animal glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary models.
What they found. The particles reached the tumor and got past the brain's protective barrier. In the animal models, 60% lived a long time after nose treatment. The team also saw immune cells move into the tumor.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: A nose spray might one day carry brain tumor drugs into the brain. That could mean less harm to healthy brain tissue and the rest of the body. For now, this is only an early idea being tested.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean a new treatment is ready. The work was done in animals, not in people. It is not a cure, and no one knows yet if it helps people. Your doctor cannot offer this today. Many things that work in animals do not work in humans.
Source: PubMed, August 29, 2026 · Read the original
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