Local implantation of doxorubicin drug eluting beads in rat glioma

We evaluated the safety and the efficacy of doxorubicin drug eluting beads “CM-BC1” when used locally in a 9L glioma model. Twenty microlitres of 1 mg/ml CM-BC1 (4 μg/rat), 10 mg/ml CM-BC1 (40 μg/rat) or unloaded beads were injected into the brain of 27 rats which was analyzed on day 8, month 3 or month 6. Then, after tumor implantation, rats were treated locally: (1) control group; (2) a group receiving 20 μl of unloaded beads, (3) a group “3 × 6 Gy whole-brain irradiation” (WBI), (4) a group receiving 20 μl of 1 mg/ml CM-BC1 and (5) a group receiving 20 μl of 1 mg/ml CM-BC1 followed by a WBI. Both the unloaded beads and the lower dose of 1 mg/ml CM-BC1 were well tolerated with no early deaths in opposite to 10 mg/ml CM-BC1. Medians of survival for the “1 mg/ml CM-BC1” group and the combination group are respectively 28.9 and 64.4 days. These results were significant compared to the “unloaded beads” group. The rat's survival was not significantly improved in comparison with the radiotherapy group. This preliminary evidence suggests that 1 mg/ml CM-BC1 could be interesting for recurrent high-grade gliomas. Further work is necessary to improve this seducing tool.