Scientists from the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGEN) have identified the drug propentofylline (PPF) that limits the protein TROY in glioblastoma (GBM) cells and that also increases the effectiveness of chemotherapy drug temozolomide and radiation to treat GBM.
Publishing its findings in the Journal of Neuro-Oncology, the research team have found that by targeting the TROY proteins, PPF decreases the aggressive spread of GBM and also limits its anti-cancer drug resistance.
“Our data suggests that PPF, working in combination with TMZ and radiation, could limit glioblastoma invasion and improve the clinical outcome for brain tumour patients,” said study’s senior author Nhan Tran.
Crucial to the development of new drug therapies is their ability to overcome the blood-brain barrier, the body’s safeguarding system that separates circulating blood from the extracellular fluid. Overcoming this barrier is a major milestone for neuroscientists and it’s something that PPF can safely cross according to Tran.