Toxin-Based Targeted Therapy for Malignant Brain Tumors

Despite advances in conventional treatment modalities for malignant brain tumors—surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy—the prognosis for patients with high-grade astrocytic tumor remains dismal. The highly heterogeneous and diffuse nature of astrocytic tumors calls for the development of novel the...

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Main Authors: Vidyalakshmi Chandramohan, John H. Sampson, Ira Pastan, Darell D. Bigner
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2012-01-01
Series:Clinical and Developmental Immunology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/480429
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author Vidyalakshmi Chandramohan
John H. Sampson
Ira Pastan
Darell D. Bigner
author_facet Vidyalakshmi Chandramohan
John H. Sampson
Ira Pastan
Darell D. Bigner
author_sort Vidyalakshmi Chandramohan
collection DOAJ
description Despite advances in conventional treatment modalities for malignant brain tumors—surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy—the prognosis for patients with high-grade astrocytic tumor remains dismal. The highly heterogeneous and diffuse nature of astrocytic tumors calls for the development of novel therapies. Advances in genomic and proteomic research indicate that treatment of brain tumor patients can be increasingly personalized according to the characteristics of the targeted tumor and its environment. Consequently, during the last two decades, a novel class of investigative drug candidates for the treatment of central nervous system neoplasia has emerged: recombinant fusion protein conjugates armed with cytotoxic agents targeting tumor-specific antigens. The clinical applicability of the tumor-antigen-directed cytotoxic proteins as a safe and viable therapy for brain tumors is being investigated. Thus far, results from ongoing clinical trials are encouraging, as disease stabilization and patient survival prolongation have been observed in at least 109 cases. This paper summarizes the major findings pertaining to treatment with the different antiglioma cytotoxins at the preclinical and clinical stages.
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spelling doaj-art-8c33b83c24f74f2da648d60f248fbd482025-08-20T02:09:13ZengWileyClinical and Developmental Immunology1740-25221740-25302012-01-01201210.1155/2012/480429480429Toxin-Based Targeted Therapy for Malignant Brain TumorsVidyalakshmi Chandramohan0John H. Sampson1Ira Pastan2Darell D. Bigner3Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USADepartment of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USALaboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USADepartment of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USADespite advances in conventional treatment modalities for malignant brain tumors—surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy—the prognosis for patients with high-grade astrocytic tumor remains dismal. The highly heterogeneous and diffuse nature of astrocytic tumors calls for the development of novel therapies. Advances in genomic and proteomic research indicate that treatment of brain tumor patients can be increasingly personalized according to the characteristics of the targeted tumor and its environment. Consequently, during the last two decades, a novel class of investigative drug candidates for the treatment of central nervous system neoplasia has emerged: recombinant fusion protein conjugates armed with cytotoxic agents targeting tumor-specific antigens. The clinical applicability of the tumor-antigen-directed cytotoxic proteins as a safe and viable therapy for brain tumors is being investigated. Thus far, results from ongoing clinical trials are encouraging, as disease stabilization and patient survival prolongation have been observed in at least 109 cases. This paper summarizes the major findings pertaining to treatment with the different antiglioma cytotoxins at the preclinical and clinical stages.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/480429
spellingShingle Vidyalakshmi Chandramohan
John H. Sampson
Ira Pastan
Darell D. Bigner
Toxin-Based Targeted Therapy for Malignant Brain Tumors
Clinical and Developmental Immunology
title Toxin-Based Targeted Therapy for Malignant Brain Tumors
title_full Toxin-Based Targeted Therapy for Malignant Brain Tumors
title_fullStr Toxin-Based Targeted Therapy for Malignant Brain Tumors
title_full_unstemmed Toxin-Based Targeted Therapy for Malignant Brain Tumors
title_short Toxin-Based Targeted Therapy for Malignant Brain Tumors
title_sort toxin based targeted therapy for malignant brain tumors
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/480429
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AT darelldbigner toxinbasedtargetedtherapyformalignantbraintumors