Mouth Stem Cells Aid Brain Cancer Fight

Researchers at the University of Reading have made a significant discovery in the fight against brain cancer, finding that stem cells from the mouth lining can help combat the disease. The stem cells release a mixture of proteins and tiny particles that, when tested on human brain cancer cells, slowed the cancer’s growth, made it harder for cancer cells to move around, and reduced the number and size of tumours that formed.

According to Professor Darius Widera, lead author of the study, the stem cell proteins work by tackling a key weakness in how the cancer defends itself.

Brain cancer cells send out signals that tell the body to protect the tumour. The stem cell proteins blocked these signals while turning up a separate set of signals that work against the cancer, essentially flipping the cancer’s own defences against it.

Dr Graeme Cottrell, co-author of the study, added:

What makes this finding particularly exciting is that the same proteins also enhanced the effectiveness of the standard chemotherapy drug. This dual approach of weakening the cancer’s defences while simultaneously boosting the impact of existing treatment is exactly the kind of strategy needed for a disease that has been so challenging to treat.

The study, published in the journal Stem Cell Reviews and Reports, focused on glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer in adults, which affects around 3,200 people in the UK each year. The researchers used brain tissue from 18 mice to test the effects of the stem cell proteins, and found that they could be produced and stored without relying on living cells, making them a potential candidate for large-scale manufacture.

The next step for the researchers is to test the findings in more advanced models, with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for patients with glioblastoma. The study’s approach aligns with the principles of the 3Rs (replacing, reducing and refining the use of animals in research), and the researchers note that all procedures were carried out in accordance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

Source: University of Reading