Prozac (fluoxetine) is used to treat a variety of mental health conditions including major depressive disorder (MDD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bulimia, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), among others. You may have seen the drug discussed in books such as Listening to Prozac or movies like Prozac Nation. But could Prozac potentially treat or fight other conditions – like glioblastoma, a rare brain cancer?
Stanford Medicine’s SCOPE Blog highlights the work of Dr. Paul Mischel, MD, who is exploring that very question. After years of studying glioblastoma, Dr. Mischel, alongside Dr. Junfeng Bi, PhD, discovered that Prozac could possibly improve glioblastoma survival rates, as well as target the cancer within mice models.
To read the full study findings, take a look at the researchers’ article in Cell Reports.
Glioblastoma
Glioblastoma, also called glioblastoma multiforme, is a rare and aggressive brain cancer that forms from star-shaped astrocyte cells. Because glioblastoma tumors can create their own blood supply, they are difficult to treat and highly malignant. These grade 4 astrocytomas usually affect males more than females. Associated symptoms include:
- Double or blurred vision
- Severe and persistent headaches
- Appetite loss
- Difficulty thinking or speaking
- Changes in mood, behavior, or personality
- Nausea and vomiting
- Seizures
Learn more about glioblastoma.
About Prozac
Drugs.com describes Prozac as:
A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant. Fluoxetine affects certain chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) that communicate between brain cells.
Prozac is orally administered and may be taken in either a pill or liquid form.
The Research
So how did Drs. Mischel and Bi discover Prozac as a potential therapeutic compound for glioblastoma? It began by trying to see what treatments could overcome current barriers. For example, glioblastoma is difficult to treat – in part because the cancer is often detected in later stages, and in part because treatments must be able to cross the blood-brain barrier. Additionally, amplified EGFR genes in glioblastoma are difficult to target.
However, the doctors also knew that sphingolipid, a type of lipid (fat), could play a role in the way that glioblastoma tumors grew or survived. More so, patients whose tumors expressed high levels of an enzyme called SMPD1 often experienced earlier mortality than those expressing low SMPD1. Because of this, the researchers determined that a potentially effective glioblastoma treatment would both cross the blood-brain barrier and inhibit SMPD1.
When they researched drugs that met these criterias, one surprising medication emerged: Prozac. To evaluate its benefits, the researchers then treated mice models of glioblastoma with Prozac. Surprisingly, the researchers found that Prozac significantly reduced tumor sizes and prevented recurrence.
Further, after exploring medical records from those with glioblastoma who were also taking Prozac for other reasons, the doctors found that Prozac helped increase survival rates.
Of course, more research is needed to concretely determine if Prozac could be effective for humans with glioblastoma tumors. However, the preliminary data is promising. In the future, Drs. Mischel and Bi, alongside the National Brain Tumor Society, will run a clinical trial to deepen their understanding of Prozac as a potential glioblastoma therapy.
