An approved drug shows promise against some high-grade glioma cells
Original title: Re-purposed FDA-approved drug could help treat high-grade glioma
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was done on cells in a lab, not in people. It is a very early step.
This was tested on tumor cells in the lab, not yet in people with glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary.
The short version
A drug already approved for a different cancer had an effect on some high-grade glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary tumor cells.
What was studied. Researchers tested high-grade glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary tumor cells that had changes in a gene called PDGFRA. They treated those cells with a drug called avapritinib.
What they found. The glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary tumor cells with PDGFRA changes responded to the drug. Avapritinib is already approved in the United States. It is approved for a different kind of tumor, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, with a change in part of the PDGFRA gene.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Some brain tumors carry changes in the PDGFRA gene. Because this drug already exists and is approved for another cancer, it may be quicker to study in glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary. If you are curious whether your own tumor has a PDGFRA change, you can ask your care team about tumor gene testing.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean the drug treats brain tumors in people. The work was done on tumor cells, not in patients with glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary. The drug is not approved for glioma, and no one should expect it from a doctor today. It is not a cure. Many drugs that work on cells in the lab do not work in people. This is early science and it is a long way from everyday care.
Source: ScienceDaily, March 13, 2025 · Read the original
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