Russian Scientists Invent Safer Drug That Could Treat Brain Cancer

08:44, 15 November 2024
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According to the WHO report, cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for about 1 in 6 deaths and affecting countless families. In 2022, there were an estimated 20 million new cancer cases and nearly 9.7 million deaths from the disease.
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Researchers from the Ural Federal University (UrFU), in collaboration with other Russian colleagues, have synthesized a compound with anti-tumor properties that could form the basis of a drug to treat glioblastoma – an aggressive and malignant tumor of the central nervous system.
According to the scientists, the new drug would be significantly less toxic to patients compared to existing treatments. The compound's mechanism of action is detailed in the scientific journal BioMetals.
Glioblastoma is the most aggressive and common primary malignant brain tumor. It typically develops in the frontal, temporal, parietal, or occipital lobes, and rarely in the cerebellum. It predominantly affects people over the age of 64, occurring more frequently in men than in women, the scientists at UrFU noted.

"Currently, glioblastoma is incurable. The average life expectancy of individuals with this tumor is 15 months, and less than five percent survive for five years after diagnosis," explained Vsevolod Melekhin, head of the Primary Bioscreening Laboratory for Cellular and Genetic Technologies at UrFU.

Globally, glioblastoma is treated with platinum-based compounds such as cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin. Unfortunately, these drugs are highly toxic, cause severe side effects, and lose effectiveness over time as tumor cells adapt. As a result, scientists worldwide are seeking new compounds with alternative mechanisms of action.
UrFU researchers, in collaboration with colleagues from the Ural State Medical University, have developed a novel anti-tumor compound structurally similar to cisplatin.

"Both drugs are based on platinum complexes and have low molecular weights, allowing them to penetrate the brain via the bloodstream. While they are close analogs, our compound operates through a different mechanism, suggesting lower toxicity and higher effectiveness in cases where other drugs fail," Melekhin noted.

Cisplatin acts by binding to DNA molecules, blocking cell division in both cancerous and healthy cells, leading to their death. In contrast, the compound synthesized at UrFU likely works differently.
"According to our current data, the compound induces the production of reactive oxygen species, which oxidize lipids in cell membranes. This oxidation destroys the membranes, ultimately killing the cells. It is a direct action through oxidation," explained Maria Tokhtueva, research engineer at UrFU's Primary Bioscreening Laboratory.
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The researchers plan to conduct preclinical trials of the compound on living organisms in the future. If the predicted anti-tumor mechanism is confirmed, a drug based on this compound could become a highly promising treatment option, Melekhin emphasized.

"We believe that tumor cells resistant to existing treatments will respond to this new drug. This means that Russia could develop a novel, less toxic treatment for malignant tumors, effective in cases where traditional drugs fail," he concluded.

The research is supported by the Russian Science Foundation.
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