[Pharmacokinetic one-compartment model using neocarzinostain as a prototype drug and its clinical application to chemotherapy for brain tumor. Part II. A clinical trial with selected protocol].

Neocarzinostatin as previously reported, appeared to exhibit an intense cytotoxicity to the glioblastoma cells and some other malignant brain tumor cells, such as pineal germinoma or medulloblastoma, which are notoriously known to disseminate into the cerebrospinal fluid space. In vitro study, the minimum susceptibility of glioblastoma cells to neocarzinostatin was found to be below 0.005 microgram/ml, whereas normal glia cells were not affected at 0.3 microgram/ml. This study indicated that neocarzinostatin was extremely effective in the treatment of malignant brain tumor without affecting normal neural tissue. Pharmacokinetic study was performed in order to establish intermittent intrathecal perfusion therapy and to prevent subarachnoid dissemination of the brain tumor cells. Experimental results were applied to the treatment of 12 patients with brain tumor, who had shown positive cytology of the cerebrospinal fluid. Follow-up investigation showed quite a favorable result and it was considered that prophylactic irradiation to the entire spinal column could be replaced with intrathecal administration of neocarzinostatin. During clinical application no noticeable side effect was encountered and active stimulation of macrophages, which were mobilized into the CSF space, was another unexpected advantage of this treatment.