Phase II study of neoadjuvant imatinib in glioblastoma: evaluation of clinical and molecular effects of the treatment

Using a pre-radiation window to identify potentially active cytotoxic agents in adults with newly diagnosed glioblastoma

Therapies shown to improve outcomes in patients with recurrent cancers are commonly used in the neoadjuvant setting to optimize surgery, reduce radiation fields, and treat micrometastatic disease. While the use of pre-radiation chemotherapy (PRC) has flourished in systemic cancers, it has not seen the same level of use in glioblastomas. This review documents these trajectories and highlights the potential of PRC to rapidly and safely screen cytotoxic drugs for efficacy in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. Prospective trials of adults with newly diagnosed systemic and brain cancers treated with PRC published between 1980 and 2023 were identified in PubMed. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines were used to document the standard use of PRC in patients with systemic and brain cancers. Over 5000 prospective PRC trials in solid tumors were identified. These accrued  >1 million patients and resulted in neoadjuvant therapies being the standard of care in ~28 systemic cancers. Only 50 similar trials (2206 patients) were identified in high-grade gliomas. In 13 trials containing PRC temozolomide (n = 846), radiographic responses ranged from 6 to 53% with a median survival of ~13 months. Glioblastoma PRC trials were not associated with unexpected toxicities or major negative impacts on survival. Pre-radiation chemotherapy in patients with glioblastoma appears safe and feasible. The pre-radiation window is ideally suited to rapidly screen cytotoxic agents for efficacy. It permits radiographic response as a primary outcome, small sample sizes, and initiation of standard therapies a few months after diagnosis. Pre-radiation chemotherapy may be most appropriate for patients with glioblastoma who are unlikely to benefit from temozolomide.

Neoadjuvant clinical trials in adults with newly diagnosed high-grade glioma: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

High-grade gliomas are devastating cancers that remain incurable with standard surgical resection and radiochemotherapy. Although beneficial against neoplasms, radiation lowers lymphocyte counts, weakens immune activation, and recruits suppressive myeloid cells impairing immune responses. Tumor environments treated with radiation experience long-term immunosuppression, reducing immunotherapy effectiveness and contributing to recurrence. Investigating pre-radiation treatments in newly diagnosed patients could identify active agents, assess immunotherapy impact, and enable multiomic analyses without radiation-induced confounding factors. This literature review was conducted to describe the feasibility, safety, and outcomes of postsurgical, pre-radiation clinical trials for adults with newly diagnosed high-grade glioma.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed of the English-language literature reporting results of clinical trials for adults with newly diagnosed high-grade glioma administered postsurgical treatment prior to radiation therapy. A search was conducted in PubMed and references cited in research and review articles were also considered.

RESULTS

From 1991 to 2024, 52 clinical trials were identified: 3 phase I, 38 phase II, 4 phase III, and 7 of unknown phase. Nine trials were randomized, 24 were multicenter trials, 21 investigated temozolomide-containing regimens, and 12 focused on inoperable tumors, involving a total of 2737 patients.

CONCLUSION

Pre-radiation neoadjuvant studies are feasible and may identify active drugs. This is particularly relevant in the era of personalized medicine with brain-penetrant drugs, targeted therapy, and immuno-oncology advancements. Investigating pre-radiation treatments in newly diagnosed high-grade glioma is a viable approach to rapidly identify active and inactive regimens while the immune system and tumor microenvironment remain intact.

Challenges and advances in glioblastoma targeted therapy: the promise of drug repurposing and biomarker exploration

Glioblastoma remains the most prevalent and aggressive primary malignant brain tumor in adults, characterized by limited treatment options and a poor prognosis. Previous drug repurposing efforts have yielded only marginal survival benefits, particularly those involving inhibitors targeting receptor tyrosine kinase and cyclin-dependent kinase-retinoblastoma pathways. This limited efficacy is likely due to several critical challenges, including the tumor's molecular heterogeneity, the dynamic evolution of its genetic profile, and the restrictive nature of the blood-brain barrier that impedes effective drug delivery. Emerging diagnostic tools, such as circulating tumor DNA and extracellular vesicles, offer promising non-invasive methods for real-time tumor monitoring, potentially enabling the application of targeted therapies to more selected patient populations. Moreover, innovative drug delivery strategies, including focused ultrasound, implantable drug-delivery systems, and engineered nanoparticles, hold potential for enhancing the bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy of treatments.

State of the neoadjuvant therapy for glioblastoma multiforme-Where do we stand?

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common malignant primary brain tumor in adults. Despite several investigations in this field, maximal safe resection followed by chemoradiotherapy and adjuvant temozolomide with or without tumor-treating fields remains the standard of care with poor survival outcomes. Many endeavors have failed to make a dramatic change in the outcomes of GBM patients. This study aimed to review the available strategies for newly diagnosed GBM in the neoadjuvant setting, which have been mainly neglected in contrast to other solid tumors.

Current and promising treatment strategies in glioma

Gliomas are the most common primary central nervous system tumors; despite recent advances in diagnosis and treatment, glioma patients generally have a poor prognosis. Hence there is a clear need for improved therapeutic options. In recent years, significant effort has been made to investigate immunotherapy and precision oncology approaches. The review covers well-established strategies such as surgery, temozolomide, PCV, and mTOR inhibitors. Furthermore, it summarizes promising therapies: tumor treating fields, immune therapies, tyrosine kinases inhibitors, IDH(Isocitrate dehydrogenase)-targeted approaches, and others. While there are many promising treatment strategies, none fundamentally changed the management of glioma patients. However, we are still awaiting the outcome of ongoing trials, which have the potential to revolutionize the treatment of glioma.

Identification of Implications of Angiogenesis and m6A Modification on Immunosuppression and Therapeutic Sensitivity in Low-Grade Glioma by Network Computational Analysis of Subtypes and Signatures

Angiogenesis is a complex process in the immunosuppressed low-grade gliomas (LGG) microenvironment and is regulated by multiple factors. N⁶-methyladenosine (m6A), modified by the m6A modification regulators (“writers” “readers” and “erasers”), can drive LGG formation. In the hypoxic environment of intracranial tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), m6A modifications in glioma stem cells are predominantly distributed around neovascularization and synergize with complex perivascular pathological ecology to mediate the immunosuppressive phenotype of TIME. The exact mechanism of this phenomenon remains unknown. Herein, we elucidated the relevance of the angiogenesis-related genes (ARGs) and m6A regulators (MAGs) and their influencing mechanism from a macro perspective. Based on the expression pattern of MAGs, we divided patients with LGG into two robust categories via consensus clustering, and further annotated the malignant related mechanisms and corresponding targeted agents. The two subgroups (CL1, CL2) demonstrated a significant correlation with prognosis and clinical-pathology features. Moreover, WGCNA has also uncovered the hub genes and related mechanisms of MAGs affecting clinical characters. Clustering analysis revealed a synergistic promoting effect of M6A and angiogenesis on immunosuppression. Based on the expression patterns of MAGs, we established a high-performance gene-signature (MASig). MASig revealed somatic mutational mechanisms by which MAGs affect the sensitivity to treatment in LGG patients. In conclusion, the MAGs were critical participants in the malignant process of LGG, with a vital potential in the prognosis stratification, prediction of outcome, and therapeutic sensitivity of LGG. Findings based on these strategies may facilitate the development of objective diagnosis and treatment systems to quantify patient survival and other outcomes, and in some cases, to identify potential unexplored targeted therapies.

Platelet-derived growth factor signalling in neurovascular function and disease

Platelet-derived growth factors are critical for cerebrovascular development and homeostasis. Abnormalities in this signalling pathway are implicated in neurological diseases, especially those where neurovascular dysfunction and neuroinflammation plays a prominent role in disease pathologies, such as stroke and Alzheimer's disease; the angiogenic nature of this pathway also draws its significance in brain malignancies such as glioblastoma where tumour angiogenesis is profuse. In this review, we provide an updated overview of the actions of the platelet-derived growth factors on neurovascular function, their role in the regulation of perivascular cell types expressing the cognate receptors, neurological diseases associated with aberrance in signalling, and highlight the clinical relevance and therapeutic potentials of this pathway for central nervous system diseases.

Therapeutic Targets in Diffuse Midline Gliomas-An Emerging Landscape

Simple Summary

Diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs) remain one of the most devastating childhood brain tumour types, for which there is currently no known cure. In this review we provide a summary of the existing knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of this disease, highlighting current analyses and novel treatment propositions. Together, the accumulation of these data will aid in the understanding and development of more effective therapeutic options for the treatment of DMGs.

Abstract

Diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs) are invariably fatal pediatric brain tumours that are inherently resistant to conventional therapy. In recent years our understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of DMG tumorigenicity has resulted in the identification of novel targets and the development of a range of potential therapies, with multiple agents now being progressed to clinical translation to test their therapeutic efficacy. Here, we provide an overview of the current therapies aimed at epigenetic and mutational drivers, cellular pathway aberrations and tumor microenvironment mechanisms in DMGs in order to aid therapy development and facilitate a holistic approach to patient treatment.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM): An overview of current therapies and mechanisms of resistance

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a WHO grade IV glioma and the most common malignant, primary brain tumor with a 5-year survival of 7.2%. Its highly infiltrative nature, genetic heterogeneity, and protection by the blood brain barrier (BBB) have posed great treatment challenges. The standard treatment for GBMs is surgical resection followed by chemoradiotherapy. The robust DNA repair and self-renewing capabilities of glioblastoma cells and glioma initiating cells (GICs), respectively, promote resistance against all current treatment modalities. Thus, durable GBM management will require the invention of innovative treatment strategies. In this review, we will describe biological and molecular targets for GBM therapy, the current status of pharmacologic therapy, prominent mechanisms of resistance, and new treatment approaches. To date, medical imaging is primarily used to determine the location, size and macroscopic morphology of GBM before, during, and after therapy. In the future, molecular and cellular imaging approaches will more dynamically monitor the expression of molecular targets and/or immune responses in the tumor, thereby enabling more immediate adaptation of tumor-tailored, targeted therapies.

Novel Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Pathway Inhibitors for Targeted Radionuclide Therapy of Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GB) remains the most fatal brain tumor characterized by a high infiltration rate and treatment resistance. Overexpression and/or mutation of receptor tyrosine kinases is common in GB, which subsequently leads to the activation of many downstream pathways that have a critical impact on tumor progression and therapy resistance. Therefore, receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (RTKIs) have been investigated to improve the dismal prognosis of GB in an effort to evolve into a personalized targeted therapy strategy with a better treatment outcome. Numerous RTKIs have been approved in the clinic and several radiopharmaceuticals are part of (pre)clinical trials as a non-invasive method to identify patients who could benefit from RTKI. The latter opens up the scope for theranostic applications. In this review, the present status of RTKIs for the treatment, nuclear imaging and targeted radionuclide therapy of GB is presented. The focus will be on seven tyrosine kinase receptors, based on their central role in GB: EGFR, VEGFR, MET, PDGFR, FGFR, Eph receptor and IGF1R. Finally, by way of analyzing structural and physiological characteristics of the TKIs with promising clinical trial results, four small molecule RTKIs were selected based on their potential to become new therapeutic GB radiopharmaceuticals.

In vitro modeling of glioblastoma initiation using PDGF-AA and p53-null neural progenitors

BACKGROUND

Imagining ways to prevent or treat glioblastoma (GBM) has been hindered by a lack of understanding of its pathogenesis. Although overexpression of platelet derived growth factor with two A-chains (PDGF-AA) may be an early event, critical details of the core biology of GBM are lacking. For example, existing PDGF-driven models replicate its microscopic appearance, but not its genomic architecture. Here we report a model that overcomes this barrier to authenticity.

METHODS

Using a method developed to establish neural stem cell cultures, we investigated the effects of PDGF-AA on subventricular zone (SVZ) cells, one of the putative cells of origin of GBM. We microdissected SVZ tissue from p53-null and wild-type adult mice, cultured cells in media supplemented with PDGF-AA, and assessed cell viability, proliferation, genome stability, and tumorigenicity.

RESULTS

Counterintuitive to its canonical role as a growth factor, we observed abrupt and massive cell death in PDGF-AA: wild-type cells did not survive, whereas a small fraction of null cells evaded apoptosis. Surviving null cells displayed attenuated proliferation accompanied by whole chromosome gains and losses. After approximately 100 days in PDGF-AA, cells suddenly proliferated rapidly, acquired growth factor independence, and became tumorigenic in immune-competent mice. Transformed cells had an oligodendrocyte precursor-like lineage marker profile, were resistant to platelet derived growth factor receptor alpha inhibition, and harbored highly abnormal karyotypes similar to human GBM.

CONCLUSION

This model associates genome instability in neural progenitor cells with chronic exposure to PDGF-AA and is the first to approximate the genomic landscape of human GBM and the first in which the earliest phases of the disease can be studied directly.

Phase 0 and window of opportunity clinical trial design in neuro-oncology: a RANO review

Glioblastoma is a devastating disease with poor prognosis. Few effective chemotherapeutics are currently available, and much effort has been expended to identify new drugs capable of slowing tumor progression. The phase 0 trial design was developed to facilitate early identification of promising agents for cancer that should undergo accelerated approval. This design features an early in-human study that enrolls a small number of patients who receive subtherapeutic doses of medication with the goals of describing pharmacokinetics through drug blood level measurements and determining intratumoral concentrations of the investigational compound as well as pharmacodynamics by studying the biochemical and physiological effects of drugs. In neuro-oncology, however, the presence of the blood-brain barrier and difficulty in obtaining brain tumor tissue warrant a separate set of considerations. In this paper, we critically reviewed the protocols used in all brain tumor related in-human phase 0 and phase 0-like ("window of opportunity") studies between 1993 and 2018, as well as ongoing clinical trials, and identified major challenges in trial design as applied to central nervous system tumors that include surgical specimen collection and storage, brain tumor drug level analysis, and confirmation of drug action. We therefore propose that phase 0 trials in neuro-oncology should include (i) only patients in whom a resection of the tumor is planned, (ii) use of clinical doses of an investigational agent, (iii) tissue sampling from enhancing and non-enhancing portions of the tumor, and (iv) assessment of drug-specific target effects. Standardization of clinical protocols for phase 0/window of opportunity studies can help accelerate the development of effective treatments for glioblastoma.

Phase 0 Clinical Trial Strategies for the Neurosurgical Oncologist

In an era of escalating drug discovery costs, shifting priorities within the pharmaceutical industry, and longstanding challenges in central nervous system drug delivery, surgical trials offer an avenue to identify promising agents with demonstrable tumor penetration and molecular effects. The rise of pharmacodynamic- and pharmacokinetic-driven clinical trials, including phase 0 study designs, creates an opportunity for the neurosurgical oncologist to engage drug development for brain tumor patients directly. Here, we review the phase 0 clinical trial mechanism as well as its current and future applications within neurosurgical oncology.

Small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant primary brain tumor, with poor survival despite treatment with surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy with temozolomide. Little progress has been made over the last two decades, and there remain unmet medical needs. Approximately 45% of patients with GBM carry EGFR mutations, and 13% of them possess altered PDGFR genes. Moreover, VEGF/VEGFR mutations are also observed in the patient population. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are emerging cancer therapy drugs that inhibit signal transduction cascades affecting cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis. Indications for small molecule TKIs have been successfully expanded to multiple types of cancer; however, none of the TKIs have been approved for patients with GBM. In this review, we summarize clinical trials of small molecule TKIs in patients with GBM and plausible hypotheses for negative clinical study results. We also discuss the potential TKI candidates that presented significant preclinical outcomes in patients with GBM.

Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor and Ionizing Radiation in High Grade Glioma Cell Lines

Treatment of high grade gliomas (HGGs) has remained elusive due to their high heterogeneity and aggressiveness. Surgery followed by radiotherapy represents the mainstay of treatment for HGG. However, the unfavorable location of the tumor that usually limits total resection and the resistance to radiation therapy are the major therapeutic problems. Chemotherapy with DNA alkylating agent temozolomide is also used to treat HGG, despite modest effects on survival. Disregulation of several growth factor receptors (GFRs) were detected in HGG and receptor amplification in glioblastoma has been suggested to be responsible for heterogeneity propagation through clonal evolution. Molecularly targeted agents inhibiting these membrane proteins have demonstrated significant cytotoxicity in several types of cancer cells when tested in preclinical models. Platelet-derived growth factor receptors (PDGFRs) and associated signaling were found to be implicated in gliomagenesis, moreover, HGG commonly display a Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) autocrine pathway that is not present in normal brain tissues. We have previously shown that both the susceptibility towards PDGFR and the impact of the PDGFR inactivation on the radiation response were different in different HGG cell lines. Therefore, we decided to extend our investigation, using two other HGG cell lines that express PDGFR at the cell surface. Here, we investigated the effect of PDGFR inhibition alone or in combination with gamma radiation in 11 and 15 HGG cell lines. Our results showed that while targeting the PDGFR represents a good means of treatment in HGG, the combination of receptor inhibition with gamma radiation did not result in any discernable difference compared to the single treatment. The PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTOR and Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathways are the major signaling pathways emerging from the GFRs, including PDGFR. Decreased sensitivity to radiation-induced cell death are often associated with redundancy in these pro-survival signaling pathways. Here we found that Phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K), Extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), or c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1/2 (JNK1/2) inactivation induced radiosensitivity in HGG cells.

Nilotinib, an approved leukemia drug, inhibits smoothened signaling in Hedgehog-dependent medulloblastoma

Dysregulation of the seven-transmembrane (7TM) receptor Smoothened (SMO) and other components of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway contributes to the development of cancers including basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and medulloblastoma (MB). However, SMO-specific antagonists produced mixed results in clinical trials, marked by limited efficacy and high rate of acquired resistance in tumors. Here we discovered that Nilotinib, an approved inhibitor of several kinases, possesses an anti-Hh activity, at clinically achievable concentrations, due to direct binding to SMO and inhibition of SMO signaling. Nilotinib was more efficacious than the SMO-specific antagonist Vismodegib in inhibiting growth of two Hh-dependent MB cell lines. It also reduced tumor growth in subcutaneous MB mouse xenograft model. These results indicate that in addition to its known activity against several tyrosine-kinase-mediated proliferative pathways, Nilotinib is a direct inhibitor of the Hh pathway. The newly discovered extension of Nilotinib's target profile holds promise for the treatment of Hh-dependent cancers.

Changing paradigms for targeted therapies against diffuse infiltrative gliomas: tackling a moving target

Introduction: Gliomas are highly heterogeneous primary brain tumors which result in a disproportionately high degree of morbidity and mortality despite their locoregional occurrence. Advances in the understanding of the biological makeup of these malignancies have yielded a number of potential tumor-driving pathways which have been identified as rational targets for therapy. However, early trials of agents that target these pathways have uniformly failed to yield improvement in outcomes in patients with malignant gliomas. Areas covered: This review provides an overview of the most common biological features of gliomas and the strategies to target the same; in addition, the current status of immunotherapy and biological therapies are outlined and the future directions to tackle the challenges of therapy for gliomas are examined. Expert opinion: The limitations of current treatments are attributed to the inability of most of these agents to cross the blood-brain barrier and to the intrinsic heterogeneity of the tumors that result in treatment resistance. The recent emergence of immune-mediated and biological therapies and of agents that target metabolic pathways in gliomas have provided strategies that may overcome tumor heterogeneity and ongoing trials of such agents are anticipated to yield improved outcomes.

Phase I-II trial of imatinib mesylate (Gleevec; STI571) in treatment of recurrent oligodendroglioma and mixed oligoastrocytoma. North central cancer treatment group study N0272 (ALLIANCE/NCCTG)

PURPOSE

To evaluate the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of imatinib in patients with recurrent oligodendroglial tumors.

METHODS

Patients with progressive WHO grade II-III recurrent tumors after prior RT and chemotherapy were eligible. A phase I dose-escalation study was conducted for patients on enzyme-inducing anticonvulsants (EIAC). A phase II study for non-EIAC patients utilized a fixed dose of 600 mg/D. Primary efficacy endpoint was 6-month progression-free survival (PFS6). A 2-stage design was utilized, with 90% power to detect PFS6 increase from 25 to 45%.

RESULTS

In the Phase I, maximum tolerated dose was not reached at 1200 mg/D. For phase II patients, overall PFS6 was 33% and median PFS 4.0 months (95% CI 2.1, 5.7). Median overall survival (OS) was longer in imatinib-treated patients compared with controls (16.6 vs. 8.0 months; HR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.41,1.0, p = 0.049), and longer in patients with 1p/19q-codeleted tumors (19.2 vs. 6.2 months, HR = 0.43, 95% CI 0.21,0.89, p = 0.019). Confirmed response rate was 3.9% (PR = 1; REGR = 1), with stable disease observed in 52.9%. At 600 mg/D, mean steady-state imatinib plasma concentration was 2513 ng/ml (95% CI 1831,3195). Grade 3-4 adverse events (hematologic, fatigue, GI, hypophosphatemia, or hemorrhage) occurred in 61%.

CONCLUSIONS

Although adequate plasma levels were achieved, the observed PFS6 of 33% did not reach our pre-defined threshold for success. Although OS was longer in imatinib-treated patients than controls, this finding would require forward validation in a larger cohort. Imatinib might show greater activity in a population enriched for PDGF-dependent pathway activation in tumor tissue.

Autophagic and Apoptotic Pathways as Targets for Chemotherapy in Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most malignant and aggressive type of brain tumor, with a mean life expectancy of less than 15 months. This is due in part to the high resistance to apoptosis and moderate resistant to autophagic cell death in glioblastoma cells, and to the poor therapeutic response to conventional therapies. Autophagic cell death represents an alternative mechanism to overcome the resistance of glioblastoma to pro-apoptosis-related therapies. Nevertheless, apoptosis induction plays a major conceptual role in several experimental studies to develop novel therapies against brain tumors. In this review, we outline the different components of the apoptotic and autophagic pathways and explore the mechanisms of resistance to these cell death pathways in glioblastoma cells. Finally, we discuss drugs with clinical and preclinical use that interfere with the mechanisms of survival, proliferation, angiogenesis, migration, invasion, and cell death of malignant cells, favoring the induction of apoptosis and autophagy, or the inhibition of the latter leading to cell death, as well as their therapeutic potential in glioma, and examine new perspectives in this promising research field.

Extracellular matrix differences in glioblastoma patients with different prognoses

Glioblastoma is the most common malignant central nervous system tumor. Patient outcome remains poor despite the development of therapy and increased understanding of the disease in the past decades. Glioma cells invade the peritumoral brain, which results in inevitable tumor recurrence. Previous studies have demonstrated that the extracellular matrix (ECM) is altered in gliomas and serves a major role in glioma invasion. The present study focuses on differences in the ECM composition of tumors in patients with poor and improved prognosis. The mRNA and protein expression of 16 invasion-associated ECM molecules was determined using reverse trascription-quantitiative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Clinical factors of patients with different prognoses was also analyzed. It was determined that age and postoperative Karnofsky performance score were associated with patient survival. Furthermore, Fms-related tyrosine kinase 4/vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 (FLT4/VEGFR3), murine double minute 2 (MDM2) and matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2) mRNA levels were significantly different between the two prognostic groups. Additionally, brevican, cluster of differentiation 44, hyaluronan mediated motility receptor, integrin-αV and -β1, and MDM2 protein expression were indicated to be significantly different in immunohistochemistry slides. Using the expression profile, including the invasion spectrum of the samples, it was possible to identify the prognostic group of the sample with high efficacy, particularly in cases with poor prognosis. In conclusion, it was determined that ECM components exhibit different expression levels in tumors with different prognoses and thus the invasion spectrum can be used as a prognostic factor in glioblastoma.

Systematic identification of non-coding pharmacogenomic landscape in cancer

Emerging evidence has shown long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in cancer drug response. Here we report a lncRNA pharmacogenomic landscape by integrating multi-dimensional genomic data of 1005 cancer cell lines and drug response data of 265 anti-cancer compounds. Using Elastic Net (EN) regression, our analysis identifies 27,341 lncRNA-drug predictive pairs. We validate the robustness of the lncRNA EN-models using two independent cancer pharmacogenomic datasets. By applying lncRNA EN-models of 49 FDA approved drugs to the 5605 tumor samples from 21 cancer types, we show that cancer cell line based lncRNA EN-models can predict therapeutic outcome in cancer patients. Further lncRNA-pathway co-expression analysis suggests lncRNAs may regulate drug response through drug-metabolism or drug-target pathways. Finally, we experimentally validate that EPIC1, the top predictive lncRNA for the Bromodomain and Extra-Terminal motif (BET) inhibitors, strongly promotes iBET762 and JQ-1 resistance through activating MYC transcriptional activity.

Delay in starting radiotherapy due to neoadjuvant therapy does not worsen survival in unresected glioblastoma patients

PURPOSE

We retrospectively examined the potential effect on overall survival (OS) of delaying radiotherapy to administer neoadjuvant therapy in unresected glioblastoma patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We compared OS in 119 patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy followed by standard treatment (NA group) and 96 patients receiving standard treatment without neoadjuvant therapy (NoNA group). The MaxStat package of R identified the optimal cut-off point for waiting time to radiotherapy.

RESULTS

OS was similar in the NA and NoNA groups. Median waiting time to radiotherapy after surgery was 13 weeks for the NA group and 4.2 weeks for the NoNA group. The longest OS was attained by patients who started radiotherapy after 12 weeks and the shortest by patients who started radiotherapy within 4 weeks (12.3 vs 6.6 months) (P = 0.05). OS was 6.6 months for patients who started radiotherapy before the optimal cutoff of 6.43 weeks and 19.1 months for those who started after this time (P = 0.005). Patients who completed radiotherapy had longer OS than those who did not, in all 215 patients and in the NA and NoNA groups (P = 0.000). In several multivariate analyses, completing radiotherapy was a universally favorable prognostic factor, while neoadjuvant therapy was never identified as a negative prognostic factor.

CONCLUSION

In our series of unresected patients receiving neoadjuvant treatment, in spite of the delay in starting radiotherapy, OS was not inferior to that of a similar group of patients with no delay in starting radiotherapy.

Pediatric high-grade glioma: biologically and clinically in need of new thinking

High-grade gliomas in children are different from those that arise in adults. Recent collaborative molecular analyses of these rare cancers have revealed previously unappreciated connections among chromatin regulation, developmental signaling, and tumorigenesis. As we begin to unravel the unique developmental origins and distinct biological drivers of this heterogeneous group of tumors, clinical trials need to keep pace. It is important to avoid therapeutic strategies developed purely using data obtained from studies on adult glioblastoma. This approach has resulted in repetitive trials and ineffective treatments being applied to these children, with limited improvement in clinical outcome. The authors of this perspective, comprising biology and clinical expertise in the disease, recently convened to discuss the most effective ways to translate the emerging molecular insights into patient benefit. This article reviews our current understanding of pediatric high-grade glioma and suggests approaches for innovative clinical management.

Glioblastoma targeted therapy: updated approaches from recent biological insights

Glioblastoma (WHO grade IV astrocytoma) is the most frequent primary brain tumor in adults, representing a highly heterogeneous group of neoplasms that are among the most aggressive and challenging cancers to treat. An improved understanding of the molecular pathways that drive malignancy in glioblastoma has led to the development of various biomarkers and the evaluation of several agents specifically targeting tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment. A number of rational approaches are being investigated, including therapies targeting tumor growth factor receptors and downstream pathways, cell cycle and epigenetic regulation, angiogenesis and antitumor immune response. Moreover, recent identification and validation of prognostic and predictive biomarkers have allowed implementation of modern trial designs based on matching molecular features of tumors to targeted therapeutics. However, while occasional targeted therapy responses have been documented in patients, to date no targeted therapy has been formally validated as effective in clinical trials. The lack of knowledge about relevant molecular drivers in vivo combined with a lack of highly bioactive and brain penetrant-targeted therapies remain significant challenges. In this article, we review the most promising biological insights that have opened the way for the development of targeted therapies in glioblastoma, and examine recent data from clinical trials evaluating targeted therapies and immunotherapies. We discuss challenges and opportunities for the development of these agents in glioblastoma.

Feasibility, phase I, and phase II studies of tandutinib, an oral platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in patients with recurrent glioblastoma

Background

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) signaling is important in gliomagenesis and PDGF receptor-β is expressed on most endothelial cells in glioblastoma specimens.

Methods

We report the results of feasibility, phase I, and phase II studies of tandutinib (MLN518), an orally bioavailable inhibitor of type III receptor tyrosine kinases including PDGF receptor-β, Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3, and c-Kit in patients with recurrent glioblastoma.

Results

In an initial feasibility study, 6 patients underwent resection for recurrent glioblastoma after receiving tandutinib 500mg twice daily for 7 days. The mean ratio of tandutinib concentration in brain tumor-to-plasma was 13.1±8.9 in 4 of the 6 patients. In the phase I study, 19 patients were treated at 500, 600, and 700mg twice daily dose levels. The maximum tolerated dose was found to be 600mg twice daily, and 30 patients were treated with this dose in the phase II study. The trial was closed after interim analysis, as the prespecified goal of patients alive and progression-free survival at 6 months was not achieved. Biomarker studies suggested that tandutinib treatment could lead to vascular disruption rather than normalization, which was associated with rapid progression.

Conclusions

Tandutinib readily distributed into the brain following oral administration and achieved concentrations within the tumor that exceed the corresponding concentration in plasma. The phase II study was closed at interim analysis due to lack of efficacy, although this study was not enriched for glioblastomas with alterations of the PDGF pathway.

Reciprocal regulation of Abl kinase by Crk Y251 and Abi1 controls invasive phenotypes in glioblastoma

Crk is the prototypical member of a class of Src homology 2 (SH2) and Src homology 3 (SH3) domain-containing adaptor proteins that positively regulate cell motility via the activation of Rac1 and, in certain tumor types such as GBM, can promote cell invasion and metastasis by mechanisms that are not well understood. Here we demonstrate that Crk, via its phosphorylation at Tyr251, promotes invasive behavior of tumor cells, is a prominent feature in GBM, and correlating with aggressive glioma grade IV staging and overall poor survival outcomes. At the molecular level, Tyr251 phosphorylation of Crk is negatively regulated by Abi1, which competes for Crk binding to Abl and attenuates Abl transactivation. Together, these results show that Crk and Abi1 have reciprocal biological effects and act as a molecular rheostat to control Abl activation and cell invasion. Finally, these data suggest that Crk Tyr251 phosphorylation regulate invasive cell phenotypes and may serve as a biomarker for aggressive GBM.

Antagonist activity of the antipsychotic drug lithium chloride and the antileukemic drug imatinib mesylate during glioblastoma treatment in vitro

OBJECTIVES

Glioblastoma (GBM), the most common primary tumour of the central nervous system, is characterised by a high malignancy and poor prognosis. The aims of this study were to investigate whether the combination of imatinib mesylate (IM) and lithium chloride (LiCl) exhibited a synergistic effect in treatment and to determine whether midkine (MK) affected the fate of this treatment in vitro.

METHODS

Monolayer and spheroid cultures of the T98G human GBM cell line were treated with an IM and LiCl combination for 72 h. The cell proliferation index, apoptotic index, cell cycle distribution, apoptotic and anti-apoptotic protein levels, and cAMP level as well as the cellular morphology and ultrastructure were evaluated.

RESULTS

All applications inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. The most substantial decreases in cell proliferation and the caspase-3, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), platelet derived growth factor receptor-alpha (PDGFR-α), multidrug resistance protein-1 (MRP-1), aquaporin-4 (AQP-4) and cAMP levels were induced by the LiCl treatment, which exhibited more pronounced effects compared with the combination treatment. LiCl was less effective in decreasing the MK and B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) levels compared with the combination treatment. The most substantial decrease in the p170 levels was identified following the combination treatment, whereas IM induced the second greatest decrease. LiCl alone had no effect on the p170 levels. IM induced the most substantial decrease in the phospho-glycogen synthase kinase 3-beta (p-GSK-3β)/glycogen synthase kinase 3-beta (GSK-3β) ratio, and LiCl induced the second most substantial decrease. Both LiCl and the combination treatment induced G2 + M arrest, whereas IM induced G0 + G1 arrest after 72 h of exposure. An apoptotic appearance and autophagic vacuoles were commonly identified in the LiCl, combination and IM groups, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of IM and LiCl exhibited an antagonist effect, and MK had a role at this antagonism.

Investigational new drugs for brain cancer

INTRODUCTION

Despite substantial improvements in standards of care, the most common aggressive pediatric and adult high-grade gliomas (HGG) carry uniformly fatal diagnoses due to unique treatment limitations, high recurrence rates and the absence of effective treatments following recurrence. Recent advancements in our understanding of the pathophysiology, genetics and epigenetics as well as mechanisms of immune surveillance during gliomagenesis have created new knowledge to design more effective and target-directed therapies to improve patient outcomes.

AREAS COVERED

In this review, the authors discuss the critical genetic, epigenetic and immunologic aberrations found in gliomas that appear rational and promising for therapeutic developments in the presence and future. The current state of the latest therapeutic developments including tumor-specific targeted drug therapies, metabolic targeting, epigenetic modulation and immunotherapy are summarized and suggestions for future directions are offered. Furthermore, they highlight contemporary issues related to the clinical development, such as challenges in clinical trials and toxicities.

EXPERT OPINION

The commitment to understanding the process of gliomagenesis has created a catalogue of aberrations that depict multiple mechanisms underlying this disease, many of which are suitable to therapeutic inhibition and are currently tested in clinical trials. Thus, future treatment endeavors will employ multiple treatment modalities that target disparate tumor characteristics personalized to the patient's individual tumor.

Molecular targets in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is the most lethal brain tumor. The poor prognosis results from lack of defined tumor margins, critical location of the tumor mass and presence of chemo- and radio-resistant tumor stem cells. The current treatment for glioblastoma consists of neurosurgery, followed by radiotherapy and temozolomide chemotherapy. A better understanding of the role of molecular and genetic heterogeneity in glioblastoma pathogenesis allowed the design of novel targeted therapies. New targets include different key-role signaling molecules and specifically altered pathways. The new approaches include interference through small molecules or monoclonal antibodies and RNA-based strategies mediated by siRNA, antisense oligonucleotides and ribozymes. Most of these treatments are still being tested yet they stay as solid promises for a clinically relevant success.

Repurposing antipsychotics as glioblastoma therapeutics: Potentials and challenges

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and most lethal primary brain tumor, with tragically little therapeutic progress over the last 30 years. Surgery provides a modest benefit, and GBM cells are resistant to radiation and chemotherapy. Despite significant development of the molecularly targeting strategies, the clinical outcome of GBM patients remains dismal. The challenges inherent in developing effective GBM treatments have become increasingly clear, and include resistance to standard treatments, the blood-brain barrier, resistance of GBM stem-like cells, and the genetic complexity and molecular adaptability of GBM. Recent studies have collectively suggested that certain antipsychotics harbor antitumor effects and have potential utilities as anti-GBM therapeutics. In the present review, the anti-tumorigenic effects and putative mechanisms of antipsychotics, and the challenges for the potential use of antipsychotic drugs as anti-GBM therapeutics are reviewed.

Glioblastoma multiforme: Pathogenesis and treatment

Each year, about 5-6 cases out of 100,000 people are diagnosed with primary malignant brain tumors, of which about 80% are malignant gliomas (MGs). Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) accounts for more than half of MG cases. They are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Despite current multimodality treatment efforts including maximal surgical resection if feasible, followed by a combination of radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, the median survival is short: only about 15months. A deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of these tumors has presented opportunities for newer therapies to evolve and an expectation of better control of this disease. Lately, efforts have been made to investigate tumor resistance, which results from complex alternate signaling pathways, the existence of glioma stem-cells, the influence of the blood-brain barrier as well as the expression of 0(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase. In this paper, we review up-to-date information on MGs treatment including current approaches, novel drug-delivering strategies, molecular targeted agents and immunomodulative treatments, and discuss future treatment perspectives.

Glial progenitors as targets for transformation in glioma

Glioma is the most common primary malignant brain tumor and arises throughout the central nervous system. Recent focus on stem-like glioma cells has implicated neural stem cells (NSCs), a minor precursor population restricted to germinal zones, as a potential source of gliomas. In this review, we focus on the relationship between oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), the largest population of cycling glial progenitors in the postnatal brain, and gliomagenesis. OPCs can give rise to gliomas, with signaling pathways associated with NSCs also playing key roles during OPC lineage development. Gliomas can also undergo a switch from progenitor- to stem-like phenotype after therapy, consistent with an OPC-origin even for stem-like gliomas. Future in-depth studies of OPC biology may shed light on the etiology of OPC-derived gliomas and reveal new therapeutic avenues.

Sunitinib impedes brain tumor progression and reduces tumor-induced neurodegeneration in the microenvironment

Malignant gliomas can be counted to the most devastating tumors in humans. Novel therapies do not achieve significant prolonged survival rates. The cancer cells have an impact on the surrounding vital tissue and form tumor zones, which make up the tumor microenvironment. We investigated the effects of sunitinib, a small molecule multitargeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, on constituents of the tumor microenvironment such as gliomas, astrocytes, endothelial cells, and neurons. Sunitinib has a known anti-angiogenic effect. We found that sunitinib normalizes the aberrant tumor-derived vasculature and reduces tumor vessel pathologies (i.e. auto-loops). Sunitinib has only minor effects on the normal, physiological, non-proliferating vasculature. We found that neurons and astrocytes are protected by sunitinib against glutamate-induced cell death, whereas sunitinib acts as a toxin towards proliferating endothelial cells and tumor vessels. Moreover, sunitinib is effective in inducing glioma cell death. We determined the underlying pathways by which sunitinib operates as a toxin on gliomas and found vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2, KDR/Flk1) as the main target to execute gliomatoxicity. The apoptosis-inducing effect of sunitinib can be mimicked by inhibition of VEGFR2. Knockdown of VEGFR2 can, in part, foster the resistance of glioma cells to receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Furthermore, sunitinib alleviates tumor-induced neurodegeneration. Hence, we tested whether temozolomide treatment could be potentiated by sunitinib application. Here we show that sunitinib can amplify the effects of temozolomide in glioma cells. Thus, our data indicate that combined treatment with temozolomide does not abrogate the effects of sunitinib. In conclusion, we found that sunitinib acts as a gliomatoxic agent and at the same time carries out neuroprotective effects, reducing tumor-induced neurodegeneration. Thus, this report uncovered sunitinib's actions on the brain tumor microenvironment, revealing novel aspects for adjuvant approaches and new clinical assessment criteria when applied to brain tumor patients.

PIPs in neurological diseases

Phosphoinositide (PIP) lipids regulate many aspects of cell function in the nervous system including receptor signalling, secretion, endocytosis, migration and survival. Levels of PIPs such as PI4P, PI(4,5)P2 and PI(3,4,5)P3 are normally tightly regulated by phosphoinositide kinases and phosphatases. Deregulation of these biochemical pathways leads to lipid imbalances, usually on intracellular endosomal membranes, and these changes have been linked to a number of major neurological diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, epilepsy, stroke, cancer and a range of rarer inherited disorders including brain overgrowth syndromes, Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathies and neurodevelopmental conditions such as Lowe's syndrome. This article analyses recent progress in this area and explains how PIP lipids are involved, to varying degrees, in almost every class of neurological disease. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Brain Lipids.

Novel chemotherapeutic approaches in adult high-grade gliomas

Despite decades of advancing science and clinical trials, average survival remains dismal for individuals with high-grade gliomas. Our understanding of the genetic and molecular aberrations that contribute to the aggressive nature of these tumors is continually growing, as is our ability to target such specific traits. Herein, we review the major classes of such targeted therapies, as well as the relevant clinical trial outcomes regarding their efficacy.

Targeted therapy in gliomas

The survival outcome of patients with malignant gliomas is still poor, despite advances in surgical techniques, radiation therapy and the development of novel chemotherapeutic agents. The heterogeneity of molecular alterations in signaling pathways involved in the pathogenesis of these tumors contributes significantly to their resistance to treatment. Several molecular targets for therapy have been discovered over the last several years. Therapeutic agents targeting these signaling pathways may provide more effective treatments and may improve survival. This review summarizes the important molecular therapeutic targets and the outcome of published clinical trials involving targeted therapeutic agents in glioma patients.

Molecular characterizations of glioblastoma, targeted therapy, and clinical results to date

During the last decade, extensive multiplatform genome-wide analysis has yielded a wealth of knowledge regarding the genetic and molecular makeup of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). These profiling studies support the emerging view that GBM comprises a group of highly heterogeneous tumor types, each with its own distinct molecular and genetic signatures. This heterogeneity complicates the process of defining reliable intertumor/intratumor biological states, which will ultimately be needed for classifying tumors and for designing effective customized therapies that target resultant disease pathways. The increased understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of GBM has brought the hope and expectation that such knowledge will lead to better and more rational therapies directed toward specific molecular targets. To date, however, these expectations have largely been unrealized. This review discusses some of the principal genetic and epigenetic aberrations found in GBM that appear promising for targeted therapies now and in the near future, and it offers suggestions for future directions concerning the rather disappointing results of clinical trials to date.

G protein-coupled receptors as oncogenic signals in glioma: emerging therapeutic avenues

Gliomas are the most common malignant intracranial tumors. Newly developed targeted therapies for these cancers aim to inhibit oncogenic signals, many of which emanate from receptor tyrosine kinases, including the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR). Unfortunately, the first-generation treatments targeting these oncogenic signals provide little survival benefit in both mouse xenograft models and human patients. The search for new treatment options has uncovered several G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) candidates and generated a growing interest in this class of proteins as alternative therapeutic targets for the treatment of various cancers, including glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). GPCRs constitute a large family of membrane receptors that influence oncogenic pathways through canonical and non-canonical signaling. Accordingly, evidence indicates that GPCRs display a unique ability to crosstalk with receptor tyrosine kinases, making them important molecular components controlling tumorigenesis. This review summarizes the current research on GPCR functionality in gliomas and explores the potential of modulating these receptors to treat this devastating disease.

Response to imatinib as a function of target kinase expression in recurrent glioblastoma

BACKGROUND

Despite some progress in the treatment of glioblastoma, most patients experience tumor recurrence. Imatinib mesylate, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of platelet derived growth factor receptor-alpha and -beta, c-fms, c-kit, abl and arg kinase (imatinib targets), has been shown to prevent tumor progression in early studies of recurrent gliomas, but has shown weak activity in randomized controlled trials. We studied the response to oral imatinib in 24 patients with recurrent glioblastoma who showed immunohistochemical expression of these imatinib targets in the initially resected tumor tissue.

METHODS

We offered oral imatinib, 400 mg once daily treatment to 24 recurrent glioblastoma patients whose initial biopsy showed presence of at least one imatinib inhibitable tyrosine kinase.

RESULTS

Six imatinib treated patients survived over one year. Twelve patients achieved at least tumor stabilisations from 2.6 months to 13.4 months. Median progression free survival was 3 months and median overall survival was 6 months. Imatinib was well tolerated. We found evidence, though not statistically significant, that arg kinase [Abl-2] immunopositivity had shorter survival [5 months] than the arg kinase immunonegative group [9 months].

CONCLUSIONS

Responses to imatinib observed in this patient series where imatinib inhibitable tyrosine kinases were documented on the original biopsy are marginally better than that previously reported in imatinib treatment of unselected recurrent glioblastoma patients. We thus present a suggestion for defining a patient sub-population who might potentially benefit from imatinib.

Neoadjuvant cisplatin plus temozolomide versus standard treatment in patients with unresectable glioblastoma or anaplastic astrocytoma: a differential effect of MGMT methylation

Patients with unresectable glioblastoma or anaplastic astrocytoma have a dismal prognosis. The role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to irradiation in these patients has been studied primarily in non-randomized studies. We have compared the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus radiotherapy versus concomitant radiotherapy plus temozolomide in a retrospective analysis of two consecutive series of patients in whom surgery consisted of biopsy only. From 2003 to 2005, 23 patients received two cycles of temozolomide plus cisplatin followed by radiotherapy (Cohort 1), and from 2006 to 2010, 23 additional patients received concomitant radiotherapy and temozolomide followed by adjuvant temozolomide (Cohort 2). In Cohort 1, 91.3 % of patients received all planned chemotherapy cycles. Progression-free and overall survival were 3.3 and 8.5 months, respectively. In Cohort 2, progression-free and overall survival were 5.1 and 11.2 months, respectively. No differences between the two groups were observed in rate of completion of radiotherapy, progression-free or overall survival. MGMT methylation was assessed in 91.3 % of patients. In Cohort 1, patients without MGMT methylation showed a trend towards shorter progression-free survival (P = 0.09), while in Cohort 2, patients without MGMT methylation had longer progression-free survival (P = 0.04). In the overall patient population, neoadjuvant temozolomide plus cisplatin had neither a positive nor negative influence on outcome. However, our findings indicate that patients with methylated MGMT may derive greater benefit from neoadjuvant temozolomide than those with unmethylated MGMT.

Angiogenesis and angiogenic tyrosine kinase receptor expression in pediatric brain tumors

Tumor angiogenesis and receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) are major novel targets in anticancer molecular therapy. Accordingly, we characterized the vascular network and the expression pattern of angiogenic RTK in the most frequent pediatric brain tumors. In a retrospective collection of 44 cases (14 astrocytoma, 16 ependymoma and 14 medulloblastoma), immunohistochemistry for VEGFR1, VEGFR2, PDGFRα, PDGFRβ, and c-Kit as well as microvessel labeling with CD34 and SMA were conducted on surgical specimens. We found a significantly higher vascular density in ependymoma. Glomeruloid formations were abundant in medulloblastoma but rare or almost absent in astrocytoma and ependymoma, respectively. C-Kit and VEGFR2 labeled blood vessels were more abundant in ependymoma than in the other two types of tumors. In contrast, medulloblastoma contained higher number of PDGFRα expressing vessels. In tumor cells, we found no VEGFR2 but VEGFR1 expression in all three tumor types. PDGFRα was strongly expressed on the tumor cells in all three malignancies, while PDGFRβ tumor cell expression was present in the majority of medulloblastoma cases. Interestingly, small populations of c-Kit expressing cancer cells were found in a number of medulloblastoma and ependymoma cases. Our study suggests that different angiogenic mechanisms are present in ependymoma and medulloblastoma. Furthermore ependymoma patients may benefit from anti-angiogenic therapies based on the high vascularization as well as the endothelial expression of c-kit and VEGFR2. The expression pattern of the receptors on tumor cells also suggests the targeting of specific angiogenic tyrosine kinase receptors may have direct antitumor activity. Further preclinical and biomarker driven clinical investigations are needed to establish the application of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in the treatment of pediatric brain tumors.

Distinct phenotypic differences associated with differential amplification of receptor tyrosine kinase genes at 4q12 in glioblastoma

Gene amplification at chromosome 4q12 is a common alteration in human high grade gliomas including glioblastoma, a CNS tumour with consistently poor prognosis. This locus harbours the known oncogenes encoding the receptor tyrosine kinases PDGFRA, KIT, and VEGFR2. These receptors are potential targets for novel therapeutic intervention in these diseases, with expression noted in tumour cells and/or associated vasculature. Despite this, a detailed assessment of their relative contributions to different high grade glioma histologies and the underlying heterogeneity within glioblastoma has been lacking. We studied 342 primary high grade gliomas for individual gene amplification using specific FISH probes, as well as receptor expression in the tumour and endothelial cells by immunohistochemistry, and correlated our findings with specific tumour cell morphological types and patterns of vasculature. We identified amplicons which encompassed PDGFRA only, PDGFRA/KIT, and PDGFRA/KIT/VEGFR2, with distinct phenotypic correlates. Within glioblastoma specimens, PDGFRA amplification alone was linked to oligodendroglial, small cell and sarcomatous tumour cell morphologies, and rare MGMT promoter methylation. A younger age at diagnosis and better clinical outcome in glioblastoma patients is only seen when PDGFRA and KIT are co-amplified. IDH1 mutation was only found when all three genes are amplified; this is a subgroup which also harbours extensive MGMT promoter methylation. Whilst PDGFRA amplification was tightly linked to tumour expression of the receptor, this was not the case for KIT or VEGFR2. Thus we have identified differential patterns of gene amplification and expression of RTKs at the 4q12 locus to be associated with specific phenotypes which may reflect their distinct underlying mechanisms.

Angiogenesis in neurological disorders: a review

Angiogenesis, recruitment of new blood vessels, is an essential component of the metastatic pathway. These vessels provide the principal route by which tumor cells exit the primary tumor site and enter the circulation. For many tumors, the vascular density can provide a prognostic indicator of metastatic potential, with the highly vascular primary tumors having a higher incidence of metastasis than poorly vascular tumors. The discovery and characterization of tumor-derived angiogenesis modulators greatly contributed to our understanding of how tumors regulate angiogenesis. However, although angiogenesis appears to be a rate-limiting event in tumor growth and metastatic dissemination, a direct connection between the induction of angiogenesis and the progression to tumor malignancy is less well understood. In this review, we discuss the observations concerning the modulation of angiogenesis and their implications in various neurological disorders, as well as their potential impact on cancer therapy.

Molecular interactions of ErbB1 (EGFR) and integrin-β1 in astrocytoma frozen sections predict clinical outcome and correlate with Akt-mediated in vitro radioresistance

INTRODUCTION

Treatment of astrocytoma is frequently hampered by radioresistance of the tumor. In addition to overexpression of ErbB1/EGFR, functional crosstalk between receptor tyrosine kinases and cell adhesion molecules may also contribute to therapy resistance.

METHODS

Acceptor photobleaching FRET was implemented on frozen sections of clinical astrocytoma to check the role of ErbB1-integrin-β1 interaction. U251 glioma subclones were obtained by introducing extra CHR7 material or the ErbB1 gene to test the relevance and mechanism of this interaction in vitro.

RESULTS

Grade IV tumors showed higher ErbB1 and integrin-β1 expression and greater ErbB1-integrin-β1 heteroassociation than did grade II tumors. Of these, the extent of molecular association was a single determinant of tumor grade and prognosis in stepwise logistic regression. In vitro, integrin-β1 was upregulated, and radiosensitivity was diminished by ectopic ErbB1 expression. Great excess of ErbB1 provided colony forming advantage over medium excess but did not yield better radiation resistance or faster proliferation and decreased to medium level over time, whereas integrin-β1 levels remained elevated and defined the extent of radioresistance. Increased expression of ErbB1 and integrin-β1 was paralleled by decreasing ErbB1 homoassociation and increasing ErbB1-integrin-β1 heteroassociation. Microscopic two-sided FRET revealed that pixels with higher ErbB1-integrin-β1 heteroassociation exhibited lowed ErbB1 homoassociation, indicating competition for association partners among these molecules. Boosted Akt phosphorylation response to EGF accompanied this shift toward heteroassociation, and the consequentially increased radioresistance could be reverted by inhibiting PI3K.

CONCLUSION

The clinically relevant ErbB1-integrin-β1 heteroassociation may be used as a target of both predictive diagnostics and molecular therapy.

A neuropharmacokinetic assessment of bafetinib, a second generation dual BCR-Abl/Lyn tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in patients with recurrent high-grade gliomas

PURPOSE

The primary objective of this study was to use intracerebral microdialysis (ICMD) to determine the neuropharmacokinetics of bafetinib, a dual BCR-Abl/Lyn tyrosine kinase inhibitor that may have activity against gliomas.

METHODS

A microdialysis catheter was placed into either peritumoural or enhancing brain tissue of seven patients at the time of tumour resection or biopsy. Twenty-four hours later, bafetinib was administered, 240 or 360 mg po, repeating the same dose 12 h later. Dialysate samples were continuously collected for 24h, with plasma samples obtained in parallel. One to two weeks after finishing ICMD, patients were allowed to resume taking bafetinib continuously while being observed for toxicity and tumour response.

RESULTS

Twenty-six dialysate samples per patient were collected (n=6) and analysed for bafetinib by tandem mass spectrometry. Bafetinib concentrations in the brain were below the lower limit of detection of the assay (0.1 ng/ml) in all samples except one from a single subject that was 0.52 ng/ml. The mean plasma bafetinib maximum concentrations after dose 1 and 2 were 143±99 and 247±73 ng/ml, respectively. Only one patient remained on treatment past two cycles, and no radiographic responses were seen.

CONCLUSIONS

Bafetinib does not sufficiently cross intact or disrupted blood-brain barrier, and therefore, systemic administration of bafetinib is not recommended when investigating this drug as a treatment for brain tumours. ICMD can be a valuable research tool in early drug development. Lead-in ICMD studies can be performed relatively quickly, requiring only a small number of patients, and without significantly disrupting standard cancer care.

Proliferation-independent control of tumor glycolysis by PDGFR-mediated AKT activation

The differences in glucose metabolism that distinguish most malignant and normal tissues have called attention to the importance of understanding the molecular mechanisms by which tumor energy metabolism is regulated. Receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) pathways that are implicated in proliferation and transformation have been linked to several aspects of tumor glucose metabolism. However, the regulation of glycolysis has invariably been examined under conditions in which proliferation is concomitantly altered. To determine whether RTKs directly regulate glycolysis without prerequisite growth modulation, we first identified a specific RTK signaling pathway, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)/PDGF receptor (PDGFR) that regulates glycolysis in glioma-derived tumor stem-like cells from a novel mouse model. We determined that PDGF-regulated glycolysis occurs independent of PDGF-regulated proliferation but requires the activation of AKT, a known metabolic regulator in tumor. Our findings identifying a key characteristic of brain tumors, aerobic glycolysis, mediated by a pathway with multiple therapeutic targets suggests the possibility of inhibiting tumor energy metabolism while also treating with agents that target other pathways of pathologic significance.

Activation of abl family kinases in solid tumors

Although c-Abl and Arg non-receptor tyrosine kinases are well known for driving leukemia development, their role in solid tumors has not been appreciated until recently. Accumulating evidence now indicates that c-Abl and/or Arg are activated in some solid tumor cell lines via unique mechanisms that do not involve gene mutation/translocation, and c-Abl/Arg activation promotes matrix degradation, invasion, proliferation, tumorigenesis, and/or metastasis, depending on the tumor type. However, some data suggest that c-Abl also may suppress invasion, proliferation, and tumorigenesis in certain cell contexts. Thus, c-Abl/Arg may serve as molecular switches that suppress proliferation and invasion in response to some stimuli (e.g., ephrins) or when inactive/regulated, or as promote invasion and proliferation in response to other signals (e.g., activated growth factor receptors, loss of inhibitor expression), which induce sustained activation. Clearly, more data are required to determine the extent and prevalence of c-Abl/Arg activation in primary tumors and during progression, and additional animal studies are needed to substantiate in vitro findings. Furthermore, c-Abl/Arg inhibitors have been used in numerous solid tumor clinical trials; however, none of these trials were restricted to patients whose tumors expressed highly activated c-Abl/Arg (targeted trial). Targeted trials are critical for determining whether c-Abl/Arg inhibitors can be effective treatment options for patients whose tumors are driven by c-Abl/Arg.

Sparc-like protein 1 is a new marker of human glioma progression

High-grade gliomas (glioblastomas) are the most common and deadly brain tumors in adults, currently with no satisfactory treatment available. Apart from de novo glioblastoma, it is currently accepted that these malignancies mainly progress from lower grade glial tumors. However, the molecular entities governing the progression of gliomas are poorly understood. Extracellular and membrane proteins are key biomolecules found at the cell-to-cell communication interface and hence are a promising proteome subpopulation that could help understand the development of glioma. Accordingly, the current study aims at identifying new protein markers of human glioma progression. For this purpose, we used glial tumors generated orthotopically with T98G and U373 human glioma cells in nude mice. This setup allowed also to discriminate the protein origin, namely, human (tumor) or mouse (host). Extracellular and membrane proteins were selectively purified using biotinylation followed by streptavidin affinity chromatography. Isolated proteins were digested and then identified and quantified employing 2D-nano-HPLC-MS/MS analysis. A total of 23 and 27 up-regulated extracellular and membrane proteins were identified in the T98G and U373 models, respectively. Approximately two-thirds of these were predominantly produced by the tumor, whereas the remaining proteins appeared to be mainly overexpressed by the host tissue. Following extensive validation, we have focused our attention on sparc-like protein 1. This protein was further investigated using immunohistochemistry in a large collection of human glioma samples of different grades. The results showed that sparc-like protein 1 expression correlates with glioma grade, suggesting the possible role for this protein in the progression of this malignancy.