This is the first time that the wearable Oncomagnetic device was tried with a patient.
The patient had end-stage recurrent glioblastoma and had undergone all standard therapy options. He wore the device for 5 weeks but died from an unrelated injury, so the treatment period was cut short.
A brain scan showed a 31% reduction of contrast-enhanced tumor volume, and an autopsy of his brain confirmed the rapid response to the treatment.
The case study was published online on July 22, 2021, in Frontiers in Oncology.
“I believe that there is a great potential with this device,” said study author David S. Baskin, MD, director of the Kenneth R. Peak Center for Brain and Pituitary Tumor Treatment in the department of neurosurgery at Houston Methodist Hospital. “This is a very exciting time.”
The team is now treating several patients with glioblastoma under compassionate use.
In an independent comment, Adilia Hormigo, MD, PhD, director of the neuro-oncology program at the Tisch Cancer Institute, Mount Sinai Health System, New York, noted that a clinical trial is needed to evaluate the device. “But this is an interesting idea, and we have to be open-minded in treating this fatal disease.”
Oscillating magnetic fields
The Oncomagnetic device consists of three oncoscillators that are attached to the outside of a helmet and are connected to a microprocessor-based electronic controller powered by a rechargeable battery.
It consists of a series of rotating magnets that produce oscillating magnetic fields that cover the entire brain, including the upper part of the brain stem. The device induces rapid apoptosis of glioblastoma cells, Dr. Baskin explained. Its mechanism of action involves disruption of the electron transport in the mitochondrial respiratory chain, causing an elevation of reactive oxygen species and caspase-dependent cancer cell death.
Dr. Baskin emphasized that the new Oncomagnetic device is very different from the Optune device (Novocare), which is already approved by the Food and Drug Administration and has been shown to increase survival among patients with glioblastoma. Optune uses tumor-treating fields (TTFs), which are electromagnetic waves that are delivered via an electric field generator through four transducer arrays that are placed on a shaved scalp. Preclinical studies indicated that the TTFs disrupt cell division by disrupting several steps in the mitotic process that are crucial for cell division.
Both of these devices “are using a type of external maneuver” rather than invasive intracranial approaches, said Dr. Hormingo. The experimental Oncomagnetic device may have an advantage in that it needs to be worn by the patient for fewer hours, she commented. A better understanding of the physics and underlying mechanism is needed, however. Clinical trials are an essential next step.
Most common brain cancer in adults
Glioblastoma is the most common malignant tumor of the brain in adults. Outcomes continue to be dismal. In more than 40 years, median survival has only modestly improved.
“We haven’t gotten very far with glioblastoma despite millions of dollars in research,” Dr. Baskin said. “With treatment, survival is about 15 months, and those are not very good months.”