Malignant Glioma
Malignant gliomas are the most common type of primary malignant brain tumors. These tumors are aggressive, highly invasive, and neurologically destructive and patients with the most aggressive form, glioblastoma (GBM), have a median survival ranging from 9 to 12 months. Treatment of malignant glioma consists of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Despite the success of these therapies for treating other solid tumors, they have not significantly improved survival rates for glioma patients, a fact that has not changed after years of research.
There are a number of reasons why malignant glioma tumors are difficult to treat with traditional therapies. One of the most problematic is the ability of the glioma tumor cells to migrate into and invade normal brain tissue (c), a property that is rarely seen in any other solid tumors. This invasion results in a diffuse, infiltrating spread of the glioma cells which then blend into the brain environment. Clusters of tumor cells then develop in the normal brain tissue a distance from the primary tumor (b). The primary tumor (d) has the properties of most solid tumors and can be removed by surgical techniques. However, because of the diffuse nature, number, and small size of the tumor clusters, surgical removal of these small clusters is not practical, leaving radiation and chemotherapy as the remaining options. Neither of these treatments has been very successful.
The growth of small tumor clusters within normal brain tissue is a unique characteristic of malignant glioma. The formation of these clusters is dependent on the migration of the glioma cells away from the main tumor. Despite the important role of migration in the development of this disease, the inhibition of migration has not been a focus of therapeutic development for treatment of malignant glioma.
Motility Inc. has an ongoing program for testing LD22-4 as a treatment option for malignant glioma. By inhibiting glioma cell migration into normal brain tissue, LD22-4 will block the expansion of small glioma clusters and the spread of the disease. We envision LD22-4 being used with other drugs and therapies so that these treatments will be enhanced.