Laboratory studies have shown that commonly used diabetes drugs are expected to treat rare childhood brain tumors

An international research team led by the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center published a report in "Science translmedicine" that in laboratory research, a type of The diabetes drug metformin is expected to treat a rare brain tumor in children

The experiment revealed the new understanding of posterior fossa ependymoma (or PFAs) in group A, and led the research team to find potential new treatments

"These types of tumors actually challenge our basic understanding of cancer," said Sriram Venneti, MD, senior author of the study, who is the Al and Robert Glick Pediatric Family Research Professor in the Department of Pathology at the Michigan Medical College

This is because most cancers are caused by genetic mutations or errors

But most PFAs lack this oncogene mutation

"We discovered in 2016 that epigenetic changes are actually the main driver of these tumors," Venneti added-referring not to permanent mutations in the DNA itself, but to changes in the way cells acquire and read DNA sequences

pfa shares some epigenetic similarities spreading internal gliomas of the pons, commonly referred to as DIPGs, types of tumors, claiming the life of Chad Carl, Lloyd’s grandson, former University of Michigan football coach Carl and Carl’s memories in Chad The Pediatric Brain Tumor Center at the University of Michigan was established, Venneti added

"In these tumors, a very important epigenetic mark is missing, and it is almost the same mutation we see in DIPGs," he said

The UM research team had previously discovered that key mutations in DIPGs changed cell metabolism, and they wanted to know whether the EZHIP protein overexpressed in PFAs did the same

By cooperating with Los Angeles Children's Hospital, conducting a series of painstaking experiments on tumor cells and tissues, and using magnetic resonance spectroscopy to scan patients, they found that the answer is yes

Unexpected result

When looking for ways to inhibit glucose metabolism, diabetes is an obvious area, which is the same process that drives PFA tumors

The researchers decided to study how a common diabetes drug metformin affects PFA tumor cells

He said: “We tried it and found that metformin inhibited the metabolism of cancer cells and killed some PFA ependymoma cells

"Remember that mutations are not the driving factors of these tumors.

At the same time, when metformin was injected into mice carrying patient-derived tumors, metformin reduced tumor metabolism, reduced tumors, and prolonged the survival time of metformin-sensitive tumors

Venneti said that the next step will be to translate laboratory findings into clinical trials

He pointed out: "Metformin has been proven to be safe enough to be used in other clinical trials for children with brain cancer survivors, so this gives us a great start, allowing these findings to quickly move from the laboratory to patient trials
.
"

references:

"Targeting integrated epigenetic and metabolic pathways in lethal childhood PFA ependymomas,"  Science Translational Medicine.
  DOI: 10.
1126/scitranslmed.
abc0497