Systemic Administration of Drag Reducing Polymers to Hinder Metastasizing

Author(s): Pinkowski A, Lilienblum W

Tumor cells need an extra nutrition supply to survive and grow. Circulating tumor cells (CTC) search for settling down and growing favorable sites in this respect in the blood or lymphatic system. The attachment of CTC tends to occur at sites with local turbulence since in turbulent flow the mass transfer and hence nutrition supply is enhanced. Drag reducing polymers (DRP) have the potential to smooth out (laminarize) local vortices. Intravenous injection of blood soluble non-toxic DRP solutions in nanomolar concentration has been proved to reduce the risk of metastasizing in animal models. It is proposed to apply this approach also for newly detected cancers and as accompaniment of traditional cancer treatments.