Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a malignant brain tumor characterized by its extensive vascularity, aggressiveness, and invasiveness, where cell migration plays an important role in tumor progression. Its poor prognosis is associated with high recurrence, and resistance to the current standard of care chemotherapy, temozolomide (TMZ). Despite great progress made in surgery and therapies, there has been little improvement in patient outcomes over the past decade. Once the tumor recurs, there are few treatment options available to patients. Thus, chemotherapeutic agents with greater efficacy than TMZ are badly needed.

NeOnc has performed several studies suggesting the efficacy of its TMZ and Perillyl Alcohol(POH) conjugate to provide an enhanced ability to slow and stop GBM cell growth above the use of TMZ alone. In addition, a preliminary study by NeOnc has shown that its’ NEO212 conjugate has an impact on slowing the invasion of Glioma Stem Cells (GSM) which is one of the mechanisms attributed to the difficulty in treating GBM cancer.

In the previous studies, NeOnc’s reserch suggested the maximum tolerated dose for its NEO212 conjugate that had the greatest impact on the tumor cells while not affecting the test animals’ overall ability to tolerate treatment.

An additional study has now suggested that NEO212 is effective at slowing GBM migration at substantially lower concentrations thereby providing minimal toxicity to the test subject. This ability to block GSC migration and invasion in vivo at lower concentrations, as well as its selective cytotoxicity for tumor cells, are unusual in chemotherapy, making NEO212 a candidate for the treatment of newly diagnosed and TMZ-resistant recurrent gliomas.

Read The Paper

NEO 212 Sub-Cytotoxic Doses Capable of Inhibiting Glioma Stem Cell Invasion.

Authors: Thomas C. Chen¹, Nagore I. Marín-Ramos¹, and Florance M. Hofman²

¹Departments of  Neurosurgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA. ²Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.