Kathmandu: Russian researchers have made a significant breakthrough in brain cancer treatment by developing a microfluidic platform that simulates blood flow in the brain and supports the growth of glioblastoma cells—one of the most aggressive and deadly forms of brain cancer.

According to the research team, the new device enhances the effectiveness of temozolomide, the primary chemotherapy drug used to treat glioblastoma, by using red light stimulation to activate ion channels in cancer cells. These channels function like tiny pumps, allowing more of the drug to enter the cell and reach the nucleus, where it destroys cancerous structures.

“Ion channels work like pumps – they pull molecules into the cell. Red light increases the opening and closing of the channels, rapidly raising the drug concentration inside the cell and leading to its death,” explained Alexander Markov, the lead researcher and associate professor at the Institute of Bionic Technology and Engineering.

In laboratory experiments, this red-light-assisted drug delivery method managed to destroy 95 to 98 percent of glioblastoma cells, a result five times more effective than treatment without stimulation.

The research was a collaboration between the Institute of Bionic Technology and Engineering and the Experimental Biotherapy Group at the Institute of Regenerative Medicine of Sechenov University. Looking ahead, the scientists plan to use the platform to develop and test hybrid therapies for other types of cancer, potentially opening the door to more personalized and effective treatments.