Drug-loaded beads may help treat liver cancer

October 6th, 2014

This is a fluorescent micrograph showing the complete loading of idarubicin 10 mg in 2 mL DC Bead 300–500 μm. At the drug/beads contact time, the blue beads were distinguishable within the intensely orange-red idarubicin 10 mg/10 mL solution. At 90 min, the idarubicin solution had a very pale hue and >95% of the drug was present within the beads as revealed by their dark colour. Idarubicin concentrations in the supernatant were measured using reversed-phase liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. The photograph was taken with an inverted fluorescent microscope (λexcitation = 485 nm) associated with AxoVision image analysis software for acquisition and image processing. Credit: Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics

A new phase 1 safety trial has demonstrated that idarubicin-loaded beads are well tolerated by patients but are toxic to liver cancer cells. Idarubicin is an anthracycline that is currently used to treat leukemias.

Two months into the 21-patient trial, the tumors of 28% of patients had complete responses to the drug, and the tumors of 24% of patients had a partial response. The findings are published in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

More information:
Boulin, M., Hillon, P., Cercueil, J. P., Bonnetain, F., Dabakuyo, S., Minello, A., Jouve, J. L., Lepage, C., Bardou, M., Wendremaire, M., Guerard, P., Denys, A., Grandvuillemin, A., Chauffert, B., Bedenne, L. and Guiu, B. (2014), Idarubicin-loaded beads for chemoembolisation of hepatocellular carcinoma: results of the IDASPHERE phase I trial. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 39: 1301–1313. doi: 10.1111/apt.12746

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