Abstract

The authors used a fibrin clot (FC) as a carrier of an anti-cancer drug (AD) to achieve sustained release of the drug. Adriamycin (ADM) and cis-platinum (CDDP) were individually encapsulated into an FC, and the profile of release of each AD from the FC-AD was examined in vitro. The FC-AD was placed intra-abdominally in ascites hepatoma AH 130-bearing rats, and ADM or CDDP solution was intraperitoneally injected (IP) into other cancer bearing rats. The survival time was recorded, and related oncolytic mechanisms were investigated. The release of AD from the FC continued for over 15 days. Sixty-eight percent of the rats treated with FC-AD survived for more than 200 days and evidence of malignancy disappeared. Almost all of the IP rats and non-treated rats died within 20 days; these animals had massive ascites and extensive metastases. Immunologic studies confirmed that various tumor immunoresponses were induced in the rats treated with FC-AD. The FC-AD system warrants further study for possible antineoplastic activities in vivo.

©1991 American Society of Artificial Internal Organs