New Brain Cancer Drugs to Target Different Area in Patients

Nearly 14,000 Americans are diagnosed with brain cancer annually. One of the world's deadliest cancers is under extensive research because current treatments have proven to be minimally effective.

Researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC) conducted a study that has found a promising target for new brain cancer drugs. This target is a molecule in cells that shuts down the expression of genes. The enzyme, known as PRMT5 contributes to combative growth of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a type of brain cancer.

PRMT5, also known as Protein Arginine Methyltransferase 5, alters the structure of chromatin and suppresses the transcription of genes and the production of proteins, according to a news release. The researchers found that PRMT5 levels correlate with patient survival, which is a groundbreaking discovery if this treatment can be effective on the human brain.

Through various tests performed on an animal model in the study, the researchers found that inhibiting growth of PRMT5 greatly improved survival rates and impeded the growth and migration of GBM cells. The study was co-authored by Robert A. Baiocchi, MD, PhD, and Balveen Kaur, PhD; both of the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. Their findings were published in the journal Cancer Research.

The researchers' work was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, along with a few other organizations and societies.

"Our analyses helped us identify PRMT5 as a master transcriptional repressor (gene silencer) in this disease," said Kaur, in a news release. "We also learned that PRMT5 inhibition induced the death of glioblastoma cells whether the P53 gene was mutated or not."

Further tests plan to reveal whether or not this treatment will be effective on humans.

To read more about the OSUCCC research, you can read the full study in Cancer Research.