Method for using potassium channel agonists for delivering a medicant to an abnormal brain region and/or a malignant tumor

A method of selectively delivering a medicant to a brain tumor in a mammalian subject, comprising:

• administering to a mammalian subject having a brain tumor an agonist of an ATP-sensitive potassium channel, under conditions an in an amount sufficient to increase potassium flux through an ATP-sensitive potassium channel in an endothelial cell membrane of a capillary or arteriole delivering blood to cells of the brain tumor, whereby the capillary or arteriole is made more permeable to the medicant;
• and
• administering to the subject simultaneously or substantially simultaneously with the agonist the medicant, so that the medicant is delivered selectively to the cells of the brain tumor compared to normal brain regions.

A method of delivering a medicant to a brain tumor in a mammalian subject, comprising:

• administering simultaneously or substantially simultaneously to a mammalian subject having a brain tumor (i) minoxidil or minoxidil sulfate and (ii) a medicant, under conditions and in an amount sufficient to increase the permeability to the medicant of a capillary or arteriole delivering blood to cells of the brain tumor, so that the medicant is delivered selectively to the cells of the brain tumor compared to normal brain regions.

A method of delivering a therapeutic cytotoxic agent to an abnormal brain region in a mammalian subject, comprising:

• administering simultaneously or substantially simultaneously to a mammalian subject having a brain tumor (i) minoxidil or minoxidil sulfate and (ii) a therapeutic cytotoxic agent, under conditions and in an amount sufficient to increase the permeability to the agent of a capillary or arteriole delivering blood to cells of the brain tumor, so that the agent is delivered selectively to the cells of the brain tumor compared to normal brain regions.