Study identifies potential new target in glioblastoma

The researchers hope that new strategies could emerge to slow the growth and recurrence of glioblastoma, the most common primary brain cancer in adults, according to the results of a published study. today in Research against cancer.

Research conducted by St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto and the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) suggests that the ID1 protein is essential for tumor initiation and growth and also has an impact on the response of the tumor. disease with chemotherapy. ID1 is a protein that prevents other genes from being activated or repressed by binding to their activators or inhibitors. In this work, scientists have discovered that ID1 helps keep cancer stem cells in glioblastoma, making them less likely to treatment.

"The field has postulated for years that cancer stem cells are a small population in the tumor, but they are essential because they induce resistance to treatment and cancer resistance," said Dr. Sunit Das, research scientist at the research center. St. Michael's Keenan for Biomedical Sciences. Arthur and Sonia Labatt Center for Brain Tumor Research at SickKids. "We have now found proof of this speculation."

The researchers found that when they "deactivate" the ID1 protein in laboratory models and human cells using CRISPR technology or a drug traditionally used to treat psychosis, slowing the development of Tourette's syndrome – pimozide – GBM. The team also found that completely deactivating the protein helped the tumors become less resistant to chemotherapy.

Glioblastoma is an aggressive form of brain cancer. It accounts for 15% of all primary brain tumors and is often difficult to treat. Treatment usually involves combining several approaches to control the disease, but there is currently no cure. The diagnoses of the late singer Tragically Hip Gord Downie and US Senator John McCain have reinforced the profile of glioblastoma in recent years.

"The average survival rate of glioblastoma is less than two years and we unfortunately do not have many options to offer to these patients," said Dr. Das, also a neurosurgeon at St. Michael's. s.

"Our findings suggest that we may be able to improve the effectiveness of the treatments we already have, such as chemotherapy, instead of taking many years to create entirely new treatments."

In laboratory models, the researchers found that inhibition of ID1 slowed the progression of tumors in glioblastoma, bad adenocarcinoma, and melanoma. In human tissue, they found that the protein made the cells more resistant to chemotherapy treatment in glioblastoma. Disabling this protein with the drug pimozide increased overall survival and resulted in less frequent recurrence of glioblastoma tumors, slower progression, and slower growth.

"Targeting the protein with a drug may be a new and potentially promising strategy for patients with glioblastoma," said Dr. Das.

Dr. Das explained that the next steps in this research were to study the development of new ID1 inhibitor drugs and to begin a clinical trial to ensure effective targeting.

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