Glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, is notoriously difficult to treat. This is because the tumor is fast-moving, aggressive, invasive, and hard to remove with just surgery. However, an article in Medical XPress explains how a research team from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine’s Department of Radiation Oncology has been working to improve glioblastoma treatment through identifying potential therapeutic targets.

Currently, the prognosis for glioblastoma is not positive. The median survival rate is only approximately 15 months following diagnosis. Therefore, a new and effective treatment approach is urgently needed to improve outcomes within this patient population. 

Within this particular study, researchers sought to understand potential options to overcome treatment resistance in this group of patients. In the research, published in JCI Insight, the research team developed tumor models of therapeutic resistance. Since these tumors can be resistant to treatment options like radiation, the researchers wanted tumor models centered around this resistance. 

To do this, the researchers utilized patient-derived xenografts to create diverse tumor models for study. The models were both phenotypically and molecularly diverse, allowing researchers to evaluate them through different lenses. Through this research, the research team was able to develop possible therapeutic targets, as well as identify long noncoding RNA transcript changes that could contribute to advances in this field.

About Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma, or glioblastoma multiforme, is an aggressive form of astrocytoma (cancer that forms in the brain from star-shaped astrocyte cells). This cancer typically forms in the cerebrum. Glioblastoma is able to make its own blood supply; for this reason, the cancer is highly malignant and very easy to spread. An estimated 20% of brain tumors are glioblastoma. Men are more likely to develop this cancer than women. Additional risk factors include radiation exposure, increasing age, and pre-existing genetic disorders. Symptoms can (but do not always) include:

• Difficulty thinking or speaking
• Persistent headaches
• Appetite loss
• Fatigue
• Problems with coordination
• Nausea and vomiting
• Changes in mood, behavior, or personality
• Double or blurred vision
• Seizures