SINGAPORE: Singapore scientists believe they have developed a drug with the potential of combating the most lethal form of brain tumors in adults. The A*STAR scientists said in a statement to reporters that they first were able to identify a biomarker of glioblastoma multiforme, which then gave them the ability to target the biomarker and deplet it with a drug. The results were staggering and potentially groundbreaking in brain tumor research. According to the scientists, the drug was able to prevent the progression and relapse of the brain tumor in adults. Current therapies such as gamma radiation and surgical methods have proved to be unable to treat brain tumors effectively, which leads many to regrow from cancer stem cells and become lethal. “Malignant gliomas are a particularly devastating and lethal form of human brain cancer,” said Dr Alan Colman, Executive Director of Singapore Stem Cell Consortium and a Principal Investigator at IMB. “Evidence is accumulating that the persistence and chemo-resistance of this cancer is due to the presence of glioma stem cells (GSCs),” he explained in comments published by AsiaOne.com. The hope is that this new revelation will help spur further research into brain tumors in an effort to help reduce or kill tumors that are forming in adult brains.
