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Seattle Children’s Hospital pediatric neuro-oncologist
Jim Olson found an amazing way to distinguish tumor cells from human
brain cells to avoid future possible mistakes during brain surgery.
Jim made that amazing discovery finding solution of a problem during
brain surgery.
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Jim was reviewing with his colleagues the case of a 17-year-old girl
several years ago who had just undergone brain surgery to remove a
tumor. An MRI scan revealed a thumb-size piece of tumor left behind. In
the operating room, the tumor tissue had looked just like healthy brain
tissue.
Olson started searching for a way to highlight cancer cells in the
operating room. He came across a report of a scorpion toxin that binds
to brain tumors but not healthy cells. By linking a synthetic version of
this protein to a molecule that glows in near-infrared light, the
researchers think they may have found what they call “tumor paint.” |
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In their very first test, the pair injected the compound into the tail
vein of a mouse whose body harbored a transplanted human tumor. “Within
15 to 20 minutes, the tumor started to glow, bright and distinct from
the rest of the mouse,” says Olson.
A Seattle company called Blaze Bioscience has licensed the technology
from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Olson says human trials will
begin late in 2013.
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