The Problem:
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and the most aggressive malignant brain tumor in adults, having an overall incidence of approximately three new cases per 100,000 persons per year. Presently, GBM is highly lethal, with a median survival of 14 to15 months after diagnosis and no effective treatment for a significant long-term survival rate.
The Solution:
Researchers at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine and Pharmacy have designed and tested novel bromodomain inhibitors (identified as IV073, IV077, IV085). Preliminary studies showed that the novel inhibitors used in conjunction with current treatments such as temozolomide (TMZ) or carmustine (a) significantly reduced cell proliferation of tumor initiating stem-like cells in vitro (data not shown), (b) enhanced animal survival after GBM tumor initiation as compared to the combination of TMZ with PFI-3 (a known bromodomain inhibitor), and (c) reduced brain tumor volume. (Fig.1)
Benefits:
-Novel compounds that potentiate effect of current chemotherapeutic agents.
-Treats a lethal disease with history of therapeutic resistance.
-Therapy effective to wide range of GBM types in pre-clinical trials.
-Potential to reduce toxicity associated with current GBM therapies