Glioblastoma multiforme is one of the most common brain cancers, primarily affecting an individual’s spine and/or brain. This malignant tumor forms from astrocytes, which support nerve cells. These tumors usually grow and spread very quickly, which creates pressure and destroys healthy tissue.
In 2008, the glioblastoma multiforme genome was characterized by the Cancer Genome Atlas. Since then, scientists have directed their efforts toward examining transcriptomic and genomic data for new therapeutic targets that will improve patient clinical outcomes. Despite this, the five-year survival rates for this aggressive cancer remain below 5%.
In a new study, scientists recently demonstrated how brain tumors evolve when therapy is administered, a discovery that will help learn more about how cancers become resistant to treatments and increase rates of mortality. The study was coled by Milan G. Chheda and Li Ding, both of whom are associate professors of medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. Chheda is also part of the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium.
For their research, the scientists conducted an analysis on 228 high-grade astrocytoma and glioblastoma tumors from 200 patients. Their objective was to find out which mutated proteins and molecules helped make these tumors treatment-resistant.
They divided the tumors into subsets, which allowed them to observe the changes in the proteins when the tumors continued to grow or returned after treatment was administered. The scientists discovered different genetic modifications that merged on certain cellular events which affected metabolism and protein interactions in the tumors.
The scientists also observed a crucial role of the PTPN11 gene. This may serve as a point of focus for potential therapies in the future. With the recurrence of tumors being almost a given in high-grade gliomas, better understanding of how tumors change, particularly in response to treatment, may improve therapeutic strategies.
The study had a number of limitations, including the fact that it utilized a modest sample size with limited racial and ethnic diversity. The scientists also relied on a bulk sampling strategy and didn’t include smaller subsets in major analyzes. Furthermore, the conclusions made were based mainly on statistical associations between available clinical parameters and molecular observations, with limited mechanistic validation.
The scientists reported their findings in the “Cancer Cell” journal. Some of the researchers involved in the study included Jingxian Liu, Kathleen J. Imbach, Song Cao, Yi-Ting Wang, Jennifer E. Kyle, Ilya Strunilin, Weiping Ma, Natalie M. Clark, Zev A. Binder and Lijun Chen, among others.
Such studies may be instrumental in shaping the future treatments for brain cancer that are brought to market by different drug developers, including CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP).
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
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