Drugs used to treat many cancers, chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin, carmustine and cytarabine, may damage and destroy brain cells, say scientists from the University of Rochester, USA. A term has been around for a long time – ‘chemo brain’ – which refers to reduced cognitive functions, seizures and brain loss experienced by some patients after receiving chemotherapy.
Some doctors had believe these neurological side effects were due to the patient’s vulnerable psychological state. Nobody could be sure whether reduced cognitive function was directly linked to the drugs. This new study indicates the link is there.
You can read about this in the Journal of Biology, November 29 issue.
The scientists found that the drugs destroyed neural stem cells and oligodendrocytes in mice. Oligodendrocytes produce myelin insulation, crucial for the transmission of messages around the nervous system. They also found that neural stem cell division was significantly undermined by the drugs.
Even six weeks after the chemotherapy treatment had ceased, the mice’s brain cells continued to die, said the researchers.
The scientists carried out lab tests on human neural cells as well as some cancer cells. They found that cisplatin, carmustine and cytarabine were significantly more toxic for the neural cells, when compared to the cancer cells. The drugs destroyed 40% – 80% of cancer cells, and 70% – 100% of human brain cells.
Dr Mark Noble, team leader, said “This is the first study that puts chemo-brain on a sound scientific footing, in terms of neurobiology and cellular biology.”
“CNS progenitor cells and oligodendrocytes are targets of chemotherapeutic agents in vitro and in vivo”
Joerg Dietrich , Ruolan Han, Yin Yang , Margot Mayer-Proschel, Mark Noble
Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester Medical Center
Journal of Biology 2006, 5:22 doi:10.1186/jbiol50
Click here to view abstract online
Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today