Breakthrough cure for brain tumours: Nasal nandrops that go directly to the brain without any surgery

Cure for brain tumour: When paired with drugs that help T cells spring into action, the treatment cleared tumours with just one or two doses, and even trained the body to fend off a comeback (Image: Pexels)

If you were told brain cancer could be cured with just a few drops, you might think it sounds too good to be true. However, researchers are edging remarkably closer to changing the future of brain cancer therapy with an approach that feels almost too simple to be real: With just a few drops placed gently inside the nose.

What are these magical nanodrops?

A team at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, working side-by-side with scientists at Northwestern University, has crafted an experimental treatment for glioblastoma, the merciless tumour that strikes swiftly and rarely loosens its grip. They’ve built tiny, shimmering spheres known as spherical nucleic acids, each constructed like a microscopic hedgehog with DNA bristles pointing outward from a gold core. When these nanodrops were placed in the noses of mice, they slipped quietly along the nerves that run directly to the brain, settling into the tumour’s territory without so much as a surgical cut.

Once inside, the nanostructures jolted the brain’s sluggish immune system awake by activating the STING pathway, a natural alarm system usually triggered by foreign DNA. Glioblastoma is infamous for remaining “cold,” keeping the immune system blind to its presence. But these droplets warmed the battlefield. When paired with drugs that help T cells spring into action, the treatment cleared tumours with just one or two doses, and even trained the body to fend off a comeback.

How the treatment works:

Tiny gold-based particles: The medicine is made of small gold-centred particles covered in DNA that help activate the immune system.

Travels from nose to brain: When placed in the nose, the droplets move along a nerve pathway directly into the brain, avoiding surgery.

Targets tumour areas: The immune boost mainly happens inside the tumour, so healthy parts of the body are less affected.

Stops tumours from returning: In mice, the treatment not only removed the tumours but also helped prevent them from growing back.

Future improvements planned: Scientists want to add even more immune-activating features to make the therapy stronger.