PubMed Health⌕ Search

PubMed · 11562299

New strategy developments in brain tumor therapy.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The incidence of brain and other central nervous system malignant neoplasias is 6.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants-years, and appears to increase with increasing age (1.2 % per year), with the greatest rate of increase in the population over age 70 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Chemotherapy remains part of the treatment that includes surgery and radiation therapy for the management of malignant gliomas. This article reviews the new drugs that have been introduced in the treatment of these patients in the latest years, their specific cellular targets, the objective response, the TTP and the MST. RESULTS: The most encouraging results to date come from studies of temozolomide, which is one of the most active and best tolerated drugs in recent years, and from clinical trials of CPT11. CONCLUSIONS: New approaches to chemotherapy treatment are necessary. Enrollment of patients into rigorous, well conducted, clinical trials, both at tumor diagnosis and recurrence, will generate new information regarding investigational therapies, and may offer improved therapies for patients with malignant gliomas.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

A A Brandes, U Basso, L M Pasetto, M Ermani. 2001. New strategy developments in brain tumor therapy.. https://doi.org/10.2174/1381612013397221

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

The immunosuppressant FTY720 inhibits tumor angiogenesis via the sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1.

FTY720, a sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) analog, acts as an immunosuppressant through trapping of T cells in secondary lymphoid tissues. FTY720 was also shown to prevent tumor growth and to inhibit vascular permeability. The MTT proliferation assay illustrated that endothelial cells are more susceptible to the anti-proliferative effect of FTY720 than Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC1) cells. In a spheroid angiogenesis model, FTY720 potently inhibited the sprouting activity of VEGF-A-stimulated endothelial cells even at concentrations that apparently had no anti-proliferative effect. Mechanistically, the anti-angiogenic effect of the general S1P receptor agonist FTY720 was mimicked by the specific S1P1 receptor agonist SEW2871. Moreover, the anti-angiogenic effect of FTY720 was abrogated in the presence of CXCR4-neutralizing antibodies. This indicates that the effect was at least in part mediated by the S1P1 receptor and involved transactivation of the CXCR4 chemokine receptor. Additionally, we could illustrate in a coculture spheroid model, employing endothelial and smooth muscle cells (SMCs), that the latter confer a strong protective effect regarding the action of FTY720 upon the endothelial cells. In a subcutaneous LLC1 tumor model, the anti-angiogenic capacity translated into a reduced tumor size in syngeneic C57BL/6 mice. Consistently, in the Matrigel plug in vivo assay, 10 mg/kg/d FTY720 resulted in a strong inhibition of angiogenesis as demonstrated by a reduced capillary density. Thus, in organ transplant patients, FTY720 may prove efficacious in preventing graft rejection as well as tumor development.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors↗