A Clinical Approach to Using Belly Fat to Treat Brain Tumors

Written by Kimiya Mansour | Edited by Josephine Chan

Glioblastoma, or glioblastoma multiforme, is an aggressive form of brain cancer that originates from supporting cells of the brain, or astrocytes, that often spreads to other parts of the brain [1]. This tumor is distinct from other tumors, as it is supported by the supporting cells’ blood vessels, allowing them to quickly become malignant (cancerous) [1]. As the tumor grows, it increases the pressure in the brain, causing patients to suffer from symptoms such as intense headaches, drowsiness, and nausea [1]. Although the cause of glioblastoma formation continues to puzzle physicians, the scientific community has agreed on the following risk factors: genetic dispositions, traumatic head injuries, occupational hazards, cell phone use, and age [1]. To distinguish tumors from each other, as to identify an effective way for treatment, physicians will often remove a sample from a tumor and assign a grade to it based on what it looks like under a microscope. Grade 1 tumors look very similar to normal cells and grow slowly, while grade 4 tumors are abnormal and grow rapidly [2]. Glioblastoma is a grade 4 tumor, foreshadowing the difficulty surrounding the treatment plan [3].

Various treatments for brain tumors exist. Once the patient is diagnosed with glioblastoma, a team of physicians formulates an individualized treatment plan. However, creating and executing treatment plans for brain cancers are difficult, as the designed drugs have the impossible task of bypassing the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) to target the cancerous cells [4]. BBB consists of the blood vessels surrounding the central nervous system (brain and the spinal cord); it tightly regulates which ions or molecules enter the system and is in charge of delivering nutrients to the brain [5]. So, BBB provides a safe environment for the brain by blocking infections or toxins. But, this regulation makes it difficult for anticancer drugs, which shrink and eliminate tumors, to cross BBB [1] [5].

In the United States, annually three out of every 100,000 people will develop glioblastoma. Because it has a high chance of recurrence, a treatment allowing pharmaceutical drugs to cross the BBB would transform the outlook of this disease [6]. To combat this disease, Dr. John Boockvar from Northwell Health has designed a clinical trial to determine if his experimental medical procedure can be beneficial [7].

Omental tissue, fat tissue covering the stomach, is rich in blood vessels and permeable to anticancer drugs [4]. In addition, the omentum tissue can elicit immune responses because it has lymphocytes, a distinct type of immune cell [8]. As a result, Dr. Boockvar hypothesized that inserting omentum tissue onto the tumor site will facilitate the delivery of anticancer drugs directly to the tumor [4]. Simply, the procedure consists of resection, total removal of tumor, and transposition of the omental tissue on it— ensuring that the immune cells in the omentum will target cancerous cells and allow for the crossing of BBB [9].

In the short term, this clinical trial has proven to be successful but still requires further research for a comprehensive review [9]. However there are possible downside to this trial, which is increased risk of seizures, infections, strokes, tumor progression, and death [4] [9]. For example, since surgeons will have to revascularize the omentum to the brain, there is a possibility that the tumor cells can take over the blood vessels and grow to be even more aggressive than pre-surgery [9].

Glioblastoma accounts for more than 50% of primary cancerous brain tumors in adults [9]. Physicians, scientists, and different members of the community are relentlessly trying to improve survival chances for patients by raising awareness, funds, and therapeutic methods; one nonprofit organization who has adhered to these goals is Cure Glioblastoma [10]. Educating one’s self on early warning signs, potential resources, and spreading awareness will ensure hopeful prognosis and effective patient advocacy.

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