Scientists at the South Australia Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) and Finders University, Australia, say trifluoperazine, an anti-anxiety medication dating back to the 1950s, could resensitize cancer cells.
They consider the findings a potential breakthrough in the treatment of glioblastoma, a devastating form of brain cancer.
A study led by Cedric Bardy, an Associate Professor at the South Australia Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) and Finders University, Australia, states that the cerebrospinal fluid, which surrounds and protects the brain, may hold the key to understanding the challenges in treating brain cancers.
Glioblastoma, often referred to as GBM, is known for its resistance to conventional treatments and is the most prevalent and lethal form of brain cancer.
Their resistance has left both adults and children under-40 facing dire prospects, as traditional cancer treatments that work in other parts of the body prove ineffective against GBM.
The collaborative effort of neurobiologists, neurosurgeons and oncologists sought to unravel the mystery of why glioblastoma is so resilient. The team studied the effects of human cerebrospinal fluid on cancer cells taken from 25 glioblastoma patients in the vicinity. They said their findings were significant.
The team also said it was discovered that exposure to cerebrospinal fluid caused the cancer cells to transform and become highly resistant to two essential treatments for glioblastoma temozolomide, an oral chemotherapy drug used to treat aggressive brain tumors, such as glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive and highly malignant brain tumor that arises from glial cells in the central nervous system and associated with a poor prognosis. These occur when they interfere with the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of cancer cells to inhibit their growth and multiplication.
Bardy emphasized the urgency of the matter, stating: “Glioblastoma claims the lives of many individuals who are otherwise healthy and young, often within months. Although treatments exist, they come with significant side effects. Our research offers a fresh perspective by exploring the potential of a class of medications that could enhance standard care while addressing the limitations of current chemotherapies. Clinical trials with patients are in the pipeline to validate these promising findings.”
He said their research also delved into the molecular mechanisms underlying these changes in glioblastoma cells. Importantly, the team discovered that trifluoperazine, an anti-anxiety medication with a history dating back to the 1950s, could resensitize the cancer cells to both temozolomide and radiation.
Remarkably, Bardy said this medication did not harm healthy brain cells.
In the light of these findings, trifluoperazine, when combined with conventional therapy, holds the potential to improve the survival rate of GBM patients, noting that this breakthrough offers new hope and underscores the importance of exploring unconventional approaches to tackling this relentless disease, Bardy said.
