The "olive oil drug" has shown promising results for patients suffering from the most dangerous types of brain cancer.
The results of the study, conducted by the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and the Institute of Cancer Research in London, say that the drug could be particularly effective for patients with glioblastoma, an aggressive type of brain cancer.
The study indicates that the unique drug is derived from oleic acid, which is naturally found in animal and vegetable fats such as olive oil.
For those with glioblastoma, the prognosis is often bleak, with many patients living for only one year after diagnosis.
The drug called 2-OHOA, which is derived from oleic acid, or oleic acid, showed promising results in early trials conducted by researchers.
The drug changes the walls of cancer cells to prevent the cancer from growing or spreading.
Dr Michelle Afif, chief executive of the Brain Tumor Charity, said: “Glioblastomas are known to be extremely difficult to treat, so any research that paves the way to better treatments for those facing this diagnosis is an important milestone.”
Afif added: “We welcome phase III clinical trials for those suffering from this devastating disease, as there have been very few new treatments in recent years.”
Results of a preliminary trial that included 54 patients with recurrent glioblastoma and other advanced solid tumors found that a quarter of participants (24%) responded positively to the drug, and one patient experienced an exceptional response that lasted more than three years.
The researchers said that the most common side effects of the drug, which is taken orally by mixing it with water three times a day, were nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Cancer Research UK is now recruiting more than 200 patients for the phase 3 trial.
Trial participant Michelle Train, from Crawley, England, 42, who was diagnosed with glioblastoma in March 2023, praised 2-OHOA.
“I feel fine and can still do the things I love,” Train said in a statement. “For example, I spent the summer traveling across Europe with my husband and 11-year-old daughter in a motorhome. From mountain biking in Andorra to exploring Venice’s canals, “I did things I will never forget with the people I love so much.”
Discovering the cause of “brain fog” associated with “long Covid”
Many people suffering from "long Covid" experience what is known as "brain fog", which researchers say they have discovered the underlying cause of this condition.
A pioneering new study conducted in Ireland found that “brain fog” in people with “long Covid” could be caused by dysfunction of the blood-brain barrier, combined with an overactive immune system.
The researchers point out that their discovery is important for understanding brain fog and cognitive decline (difficulty with thinking, memory, or concentration) that appears in some people with this condition. It is hoped that the results will help develop treatments in the future.
Researchers from Trinity College Dublin and investigators from the FutureNeuro research center recruited 32 patients who contracted Covid during the first wave of the pandemic, to examine whether there was any disruption in the integrity of blood vessels in the brain.
10 of the patients whose data were analyzed fully recovered from the Corona virus, while 22 suffered from long-term effects associated with the disease.
11 out of 22 people with “long Covid” suffered from brain fog, forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating.
Those classified as having “long Covid” reported symptoms lasting more than 12 weeks, including chronic fatigue, shortness of breath, joint/muscle pain, and problems with memory and thinking.
All participants underwent an MRI scan to examine the blood vessels in the brain.
The study found a defect in the integrity of blood vessels in the brains of those suffering from “long Covid” and brain fog.
The team discovered that samples taken from the 14 Covid patients who reported brain fog contained higher levels of a protein called S100β than those taken from Covid patients who did not have symptoms of brain fog, or who did not have Covid-19.
This protein is produced by cells inside the brain, and is not usually found in the blood, which indicates that these patients have suffered a breakdown of the blood-brain barrier.
The blood-brain barrier is known as a network of blood capillaries that protects the brain from substances that may cause damage to the brain.
All "long Covid" patients with brain fog showed signs of blood-brain barrier leakage, while "long Covid" patients without brain fog showed no such problem.
Likewise, the 10 patients who completely recovered from the coronavirus showed no signs of blood-brain barrier leakage either.
Matthew Campbell, Professor of Genetics and Head of the Department of Genetics at Trinity University, and principal investigator at FutureNeuro, said: “For the first time, we have been able to show that leaky blood vessels in the human brain, combined with an overactive immune system, may be the main drivers of brain fog associated with "This is critical, because understanding the underlying cause of these conditions will allow us to develop targeted therapies for patients in the future."
“The findings are now likely to change the landscape of how we understand and treat neurological conditions post-virus,” explained Colin Doherty, Professor of Neuroscience and Head of the School of Medicine at Trinity University, and lead researcher on FutureNeuro. “It also confirms that the neurological symptoms of long Covid can be measured by changes in "Metabolism and real and obvious blood vessels in the brain."
The team says that more studies must be conducted, given that the participants whose data were analyzed were infected with the original strain of “Covid-19” and were not vaccinated at that time.
It is unclear whether later variants of the coronavirus affected the brain barrier in the same way.
The results were published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
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