Scientists conduct trial unveiling how new drug acts against brain tumors
SYDNEY, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Scientists have made a breakthrough by using an innovative process to learn how a new drug suppresses tumor activity in low-grade glioma (LGG) brain cancer patients.
It's the first clinical trial to be conducted through the pioneering Brain Perioperative platform (BrainPOP), according to a statement released Monday by Australia's Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH).
LGGs are a slow-growing type of brain cancer that significantly impacts the lives of patients, many of whom are young adults in their prime. Characterized by a specific mutation in a gene called IDH, current treatments are limited, and LGGs have long been considered incurable.
But a new treatment is on the horizon, thanks to the discovery of mutations in LGG and a new and innovative process for treating them, the researchers said.
The pilot study tested Safusidenib, an oral inhibitor targeting the mutated IDH1 gene, and researchers from leading Australian medical institutions observed the drug's effect on LGGs tumor samples both before and after treatment.
The results have been promising, with the proof of principle study published in the journal Nature Medicine.
"This trial is not only a revolution in the way we test new treatments but brings new opportunities for this most deserving group of patients with a devastating disease," said Kate Drummond, director of neurosurgery at the RMH and the trial's lead investigator.
Oncologist Jim Whittle at the Melbourne-based Peter MacCallum Cancer Center, the study's senior author, said perioperative trials, which take biopsies before and after treatment to measure drug effects, are common in other cancers but, due to neurosurgery's complexity, have not been used in brain cancer until now.
The new study demonstrates BrainPOP as a safe, effective platform that reveals a drug's detailed effects in the brain, enabling personalized treatment decisions and identifying patients who would benefit most, Whittle said. ■
