Study Explores Repurposing Drugs as a Way to Fight Brain Tumor Origins
Glioblastoma multiforme is a common and very aggressive type of cancer that primarily affects an individual’s brain and/or spinal cord. This cancer has an average survival rate of less than 22 months following diagnosis despite standard treatment including chemotherapy, irradiation and surgery.
Various factors contribute to this poor outcome, including high tumor recurrence rates, tumor resistance to treatment, and intra-tumoral heterogeneity. In recent years, it has become clear to scientists that not all cells in brain tumors help drive tumor growth.
This has led scientists to pay more attention to brain tumor stem cells, which they theorize are the main origin of tumor re-growth following surgery. This is further supported by the fact that these cells are resistant to standard therapies like irradiation and chemotherapy.
In an effort to identify new therapies that may be effective against these cells, a new study looked into the effectiveness of an FDA-approved drug against the cells, following a discovery that the drug could block cellular processes needed for the survival and growth of these cells. The drug in question, Edaravone, was found to eliminate brain tumor stem cells at higher concentrations and impede growth of these cells at low concentrations.
Edaravone was initially developed and approved for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disease of the nervous system.
The recent study, carried out by scientists from the University of Ottawa-Canada, found that normal brain stem cells weren’t affected by the drug. For their study, the scientists used cell cultures in the laboratory to observe the effects of this anti-inflammatory drug.
They found that the growth of brain tumors was hindered in mice that received Edaravone, noting that the therapy extended the lifespan of these animals. The drug itself has demonstrated that it can reduce inducible nitric oxide synthase expression, which regulates the growth and maintenance of brain tumor stem cells.
In their report, the scientists explained that the drug’s effect was even more pronounced when it was administered in combination with irradiation therapy. They added that since Edaravone had already obtained clearance from the FDA for other illnesses, it could potentially be reused to treat glioblastoma.
However, they noted, additional clinical and pre-clinical studies would need to be conducted to confirm if the drug was effective and safe against this aggressive brain cancer.
Their findings were reported in Stem Cell Reports. Scientists involved in the study included Audrey Burban, Ahmad Sharanek, Arezu Jahani-Asl, Aldo Hernandez-Corchado, Hamed S. Najafabadi, and Vahab D. Soleimani.
As these efforts looking into the repurposing of medicines to stem the recurrence of brain tumors are explored further, enterprises like CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are also conducting their own development programs geared at bringing to market more effective drugs to help in the treatment of brain cancers.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CNSP
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
Glioblastoma multiforme is a common and very aggressive type of cancer that primarily affects an individual’s brain and/or spinal cord. This cancer has an average survival rate of less than 22 months following diagnosis despite standard treatment including chemotherapy, irradiation and surgery.
Various factors contribute to this poor outcome, including high tumor recurrence rates, tumor resistance to treatment, and intra-tumoral heterogeneity. In recent years, it has become clear to scientists that not all cells in brain tumors help drive tumor growth.
This has led scientists to pay more attention to brain tumor stem cells, which they theorize are the main origin of tumor re-growth following surgery. This is further supported by the fact that these cells are resistant to standard therapies like irradiation and chemotherapy.
In an effort to identify new therapies that may be effective against these cells, a new study looked into the effectiveness of an FDA-approved drug against the cells, following a discovery that the drug could block cellular processes needed for the survival and growth of these cells. The drug in question, Edaravone, was found to eliminate brain tumor stem cells at higher concentrations and impede growth of these cells at low concentrations.
Edaravone was initially developed and approved for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disease of the nervous system.
The recent study, carried out by scientists from the University of Ottawa-Canada, found that normal brain stem cells weren’t affected by the drug. For their study, the scientists used cell cultures in the laboratory to observe the effects of this anti-inflammatory drug.
They found that the growth of brain tumors was hindered in mice that received Edaravone, noting that the therapy extended the lifespan of these animals. The drug itself has demonstrated that it can reduce inducible nitric oxide synthase expression, which regulates the growth and maintenance of brain tumor stem cells.
In their report, the scientists explained that the drug’s effect was even more pronounced when it was administered in combination with irradiation therapy. They added that since Edaravone had already obtained clearance from the FDA for other illnesses, it could potentially be reused to treat glioblastoma.
However, they noted, additional clinical and pre-clinical studies would need to be conducted to confirm if the drug was effective and safe against this aggressive brain cancer.
Their findings were reported in Stem Cell Reports. Scientists involved in the study included Audrey Burban, Ahmad Sharanek, Arezu Jahani-Asl, Aldo Hernandez-Corchado, Hamed S. Najafabadi, and Vahab D. Soleimani.
As these efforts looking into the repurposing of medicines to stem the recurrence of brain tumors are explored further, enterprises like CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are also conducting their own development programs geared at bringing to market more effective drugs to help in the treatment of brain cancers.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CNSP
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
