Breast cancer hope
March 5, 2013
AN animal study has shown that a
dendrimer-based formulation of
doxorubicin was more efficacious in
treating secondary tumours of
breast cancer (metastases) in lungs
than the drug alone.
Lung metastases are difficult to
treat with conventional chemo
drugs, leading to a mortality rate of
around 85% within 5 years.
Commonly used treatments
include doxorubicin, either alone or
in combination with other agents.
The study was conducted as part
of an Australian Research Council
funded collaboration with Monash
Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
and utilised a rat model which used
lung-resident secondary tumours
derived from breast cancer cells.
The study involved a dendrimer
formulation of doxorubicin delivered
via intra-tracheal administration,
and found that it was substantially
more efficacious than doxorubicin
alone in treating lung metastases of
breast cancer.
In addition, the study also found
that the formulation tended to
remain in the lungs rather than
passing into the body of the animal,
potentially reducing side effects.
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