Abstract:
A method for administering a barrier cell treatment for malignant or benign tumor cells. The method includes preparing a material including chondrocytes and placing the material around the tumor cells. Preparing the material can include harvesting and culturing chondrocytes from the patient.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates generally to a method for administering chondrocytes to an area surrounding tumor cells and, more particularly, to a method for administering chondrocytes to an area surrounding tumor cells such that the chondrocytes act as a barrier that isolate and prevent nutrients and neovascularization, i.e., new tumor blood vessels, from reaching the tumor cells. 
         [0003]    2. Discussion of the Related Art 
         [0004]    According to recent data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, cancer remains the number two cause of death in America (23.27%), and is behind heart disease by a mere 0.87%, where approximately one in every four deaths each year is caused by cancer. Although there have been significant advances in the treatments for certain types of cancer, there has not been an effective treatment that minimizes damages to a patient caused by cancer and/or known cancer treatments. 
         [0005]    Surgical oncology directly removes tumor cells from an organ through surgery. For example, a doctor can perform a lumpectomy to remove one or more portions of a breast for breast cancer, or perform a lobectomy to remove part of a lung for lung cancer. However, when treating non-resectable tumors for vital organs, such as brain, heart, pancreas, liver or kidney, surgery becomes virtually impossible because the surgery would likely result in significant harm or even possible death to the patient. As a result, when treating non-resectable malignant or benign tumors, doctors are often left with limited options, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy, which are known to have significant side effects. 
         [0006]    Tumor cells are known to vary in biological properties and characteristics, which leads to different causes, symptoms, and methods of treatment; hence the phrase, “there is no one single cure for cancer.” Despite these biological and characteristic differences, the different types of tumor cells tend to have one characteristic in common—that they proliferate through neovascularization, the process of recruiting new blood vessels for nutrients. 
         [0007]    Neovascularization is a process of tissue vascularization that involves the growth of new blood vessels into a tissue. Tissue cells utilize blood vessels to supply oxygen and nutrients, and to remove waste products. Neovascularization of tumor cells plays a critical role in the development and progression of cancer. The process utilizes adjacent blood vessels to supply nutrients and oxygen, and correlates with cancer growth and its distant metastasis. Therefore, studies that involve cells and drugs that inhibit neovascularization of tumor cells have become the main focus for cancer treatments. Nevertheless, most known inhibitors still have side effects. Therefore, there is still a need in the art for finding an inhibitor that minimizes damage to the patient. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a method for administering a barrier cell treatment for malignant or benign tumor cells is disclosed. The method includes preparing a material including chondrocytes and placing the material around the tumor cells to surround the tumor cells. Preparing the material can include harvesting the chondrocytes from the patient or obtaining the chondrocytes from a same species donor (allograft) or a different species donor (xenograft). 
         [0009]    Additional features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a human patient including a brain, a pancreas and a liver; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a side view of an extraction needle inserted into a patient&#39;s spinal disc for extracting chondrocytes; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a culturing dish showing cultivation of the chondrocytes; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an injection needle inserted into a patient&#39;s liver; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a broken-away end view of a head portion of an injection needle; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a broken-away cross-sectional end view of the head portion of the injection needle. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0016]    The following discussion of the embodiments of the invention directed to a method for a barrier cell treatment for malignant or benign tumors is merely exemplary in nature, and is in no way intended to limit the invention or its application or uses. 
         [0017]    As discussed above, there is an interest in inhibiting neovascularization of tumor cells as an effective cancer treatment. As will be discussed in more detail below, one way to inhibit neovascularization is to surround the tumor cells with cells that do not contain blood vessels. In other words, these cells act as “siege cells” that isolate and inhibit tumor cells from obtaining nutrients and oxygen, which will then prevent the growth, progression and metastasis of tumor cells. Without the necessary nutrients to grow, the tumor cells are expected to die or at least not multiply as a result of the isolation. 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a human patient  10  having a brain  12 , a pancreas  14  and a liver  16 . The brain  12 , the pancreas  14  and the liver  16  are typically the organs or locations in the human body where surgically removing tumor cells is deemed difficult or too risky in terms of the patient&#39;s health. A person skilled in the pertinent art is able to locate tumor cells using imaging studies such as MR imaging (with and without contrast), spectroscopy imaging, PET scanning, or CT scanning (with and without contrast), using, for example, an imager  18 . These imaging technologies are effective in locating tumors and their boundaries. 
         [0019]    Once tumors and their boundaries have been located, chondrocytes are then extracted from an individual patient&#39;s body (autograft) or a tissue culture from a same species donor (allograft) or a different species donor (xenograft), as discussed in detail below. Chondrocytes or cartilage cells are found in the middle of spinal intervertebral discs, and make up the nucleus pulposus. Chondrocytes offer several unique advantages as barrier cells. For example, chondrocytes do not require vascular support, meaning that chondrocytes maintain their viability and survivability in a different manner from other cells because chondrocytes obtain nutrients and oxygen and remove their waste products through “diffusion.” Chondrocytes obtain all of their nourishment from blood vessels in the adjacent vertebral end plate perichondrium and surrounding connective tissues by diffusion of oxygen and nutrients without direct blood supply to the chondrocytes. They thrive in a low oxygen environment. Furthermore, chondrocytes potentially possess an immune privileged property, which reduces immune rejection when administered into the patient&#39;s viable organs. Therefore, these unique biological characteristics can enable the chondrocytes, if placed around a tumor, to effectively isolate and inhibit tumor cells from progression and metastasis. 
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a side view of a portion of a human spine  20  including two vertebrae  22  separated by a spinal disc  24 . An extraction syringe  28  having a needle  26  is inserted into the disc  24  for extracting chondrocytes therefrom. 
         [0021]    Once the desired amount of chondrocytes are extracted or harvested, the chondrocytes are then cultured according to procedures known in the art.  FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a culturing dish  28  receiving the chondrocytes  30  from the syringe  28  that have been harvested from the disc  24 . The chondrocytes  30  are cultured in a culturing medium  32  where they are grown for tumor treatment in a manner well understood by those skilled in the art. 
         [0022]    As mentioned, the source of the chondrocytes is not limited to the patient  10 . Although it is more preferential to use the patient&#39;s own chondrocytes for eliminating the risk of an immune response, allografts from other human donors may also be used to extract chondrocytes to treat the patient  10 . Furthermore, if the target tumor cells are located in an immune-privileged site, such as the brain  12 , where brain cells are able to tolerate foreign cells without inflammatory immune response, then potentially xenograft chondrocytes from animals (such as bovine or porcine) can be used. 
         [0023]    In addition, stem cell technology can be utilized to provide the necessary chondrocytes for this treatment. Human embryonic stem cells can be taken from bone marrow, fat tissue, skin, umbilical cord blood, or any other sources of embryonic stem cell, and can then be harvested, treated, and differentiated according to known procedures in the art into chondrocytes for administering the treatment. 
         [0024]    After the chondrocytes are harvested and cultured, they are administered into the patient&#39;s organ where tumor cells are located.  FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a syringe  34  including an injection needle  36  for administering cultured chondrocytes  38  in a manner that encircles or surrounds tumor cells  40  inside the patient&#39;s liver  16 . The needle  36  includes a head portion  42  for selectively administering a layer or layers of the cultured chondrocytes  38  over the tumor cells  40 . Alternately, multiple injection pathways can be used to inject the cultured chondrocytes  38  around the tumor cells  40 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 5  is a broken-away view and  FIG. 6  is a broken-away cross-sectional view of the injection needle  36  showing the head portion  42 . The head portion  42  includes multiple openings  44  for effectively administering the cultured chondrocytes  38 . The openings  44  are in fluid communication with a center channel  46  of the injection needle  36  and the injection syringe  34 . When the syringe  34  pushes the cultured chondrocytes  38  into the channel  46 , the cultured chondrocytes  38  will exit through the openings  44  to fully surround the tumor cells  40 . Those skilled in the art will be able to determine the number, size, orientation, etc. of the openings  44  and the size of the needle  36  for a particular tumor or a particular organ. Further, those skilled in the art will readily understand that other types of diffusion catheters can be used. 
         [0026]    Depending on how the cultured chondrocytes  38  react with the soft tissues surrounding the tumor cells  40 , it is possible to achieve isolation in one administration. For example, if the tumor cells  40  cease to recruit the surrounding blood vessels, isolation is then completed. After administering the cultured chondrocytes  38  to the tumor cells  40 , isolation of the tumor cells  40  is verified. For example, in order to visualize the isolation of the cells  40 , the cells may be labeled with radioactive substance, dye, contrast, or a series of tracers, such that it may be determined that the tumor cells  40  have been isolated. However, if the tumor cells  40  continue to recruit the surrounding blood vessels, multiple injections of the cultured chondrocytes  38  may be needed to fully isolate the tumor cells  40 . Alternately, if imaging determines that the tumor cells  40  are not isolated at a particular point, additional treatment can be performed. 
         [0027]    A plurality of layers of the cultured chondrocytes  38  may be administered, where the thickness of the chondrocyte layers vary from millimeters to possible centimeters depending on the number and size of the tumor cells  40 . The necessary depth of the cultured chondrocytes  38  will be at least enough to encircle and isolate the entire group of the tumor cells  40  and potentially kill the tumor cells  40  or keep them from growing. 
         [0028]    In an alternative embodiment, a specialized cannula (not shown) may be used to allow directional injections for circumventing the tumor 360 degrees in order to encircle the tumor cells  40 . In another alternative embodiment, the cultured chondrocytes  38  are administered to four quadrants of the tumor cells  40  for isolation. In other words, the cultured chondrocytes  38  are administered to the upper-left, upper-right, lower-left, and lower right quadrant of the tumor cells  40 . In addition, depending on the organ where the tumor cells  40  are located, an array of deliver devices may be utilized to achieve full containment of the tumor cells  40 . For example, specialized needles for brain insertion may be used to treat brain tumors, or specialized needles for pancreas insertion may be used to treat pancreatic tumor. 
         [0029]    The foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion and from the accompanying drawings and claims that various changes, modifications, and variations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.