News from Research on the Fifth Two Months 2020
This is the fifth article of the project which aims to collect periodically (every two months) the news of research on possible treatments for glioblastoma multiforme. Below is the news that I considered most significant. As for the previous articles in the series, each news will be preceded by the original title with link to the source and followed by a short comment. The criterion by which the news are selected is for now to include in general only the news related to research in the clinical phase, unless the research potential for the treatment of glioblastoma is not really considerable.
Prognostic Value of ABO Blood Groups in Patients with Glioblastoma Multiforme
This study is fascinating but needs to be confirmed by further studies. It seems that the median of OS (Overall Survival) is 22 months for patients with blood in group 0, 14 months in those in group A, 11 in group B and 6 in group AB. It seems that the blood group that is often not considered in trials makes a big difference. Unfortunately this means little for the single patient … for example Emanuele was a group 0 but only survived 8 months from diagnosis …
Glioblastoma Utilizes Fatty Acids and Ketone Bodies for Growth Allowing Progression during Ketogenic Diet Therapy
This study shows how complicated the biology of these tumors is. In fact, we cannot say that because something makes sense it works. In theory, the ketogenic diet should slow tumor growth. There are also some studies that suggest it can help. This study says the opposite … that it could even accelerate its growth, at least in the laboratory.
FDA awards Fast Track Designation to Paxalisib for newly diagnosed glioblastoma
This means that the Phase 2 clinical trial for the drug Paxalisib tested in patients with glioblastoma with MGMT methylation factor unmethylated yielded good results (OS 17.7 months versus 12.7 months for standard therapy). The FDA, the American drug agency, has therefore activated a fast track that could accelerate the next steps of the clinical trials and potentially the adoption of the drug.
TRACON Announces FDA Orphan Drug Designation for TRC102 in Malignant Glioma, Including …
TRC102 has been designated orphan drug for the treatment of glioblastoma by the FDA. Orphan drugs are those drugs that are potentially useful for treating a rare disease. TRC102 was evaluated in a Phase 2 clinical trial in combination with Temodar for patients with recurrent or progressive glioblastoma following Temodar therapy and radiotherapy. Some patients have survived for more than 2 years.
The Multi-Faceted Effect of Curcumin in Glioblastoma from Rescuing Cell Clearance to Autophagy …
Extensive research over the past two decades has shown the beneficial effects of phytochemicals in general, and curcumin in particular, in a wide range of diseases including brain tumors, and in particular glioblastoma. In fact, the intake of curcumin provides neuroprotection thanks to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and protein aggregation properties, which are closely linked to the modulation of ATG. Furthermore, growing evidence shows that curcumin is capable of targeting undifferentiated and highly tumor-genic glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs). Curcumin suppresses the tumor-genic characteristics of GSCs, thus counteracting the infiltration and growth of gliobalstoma. For these reasons, curcumin should be further exploited as a potential adjuvant therapy to standard glioblastoma treatments.
This is all for this two-month period, a period of resurgence of the pandemic. Good luck to all who are fighting against glioblastoma and their loved ones. I truly hope that all the problems related to the disease will not be joined by others due to this pandemic which is putting our health system in serious difficulty.
