A new nanoparticle-transport system for gene delivery appears to have drastically reduced gliomas in a rat study, possibly leading to more targeted treatments and lower impact in comparison to traditional chemotherapy and radiation methods. A collaborative team from several institutions funded by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering created the system, initially testing it in cellular environments before observing dramatic results in the first live-rat study. The system involved direct injection into the tumor followed by application of pressure in order to distribute the nanoparticles throughout the affected region. “Efforts to treat glioma with traditional drug and radiation therapies have not been very successful,” said the lead researcher of the study. “The ability to successfully deliver genes using these biodegradable nanoparticles, rather than potentially harmful viruses, is a significant step that reinvigorates the potential for gene therapy to treat deadly gliomas as well as other cancers.” If administered simultaneously with traditional surgeries it can effectively destroy the disease on two levels, rather than the usual battery of drug and radiation treatments. To learn more about this study, click here.