A drug made from a natural compound used in traditional Chinese medicine works against malignant brain tumors in mice, a new study shows.
The findings offer a promising avenue of research for glioblastoma treatment.
In the study, published in Cell Reports Medicine, the researchers showed how a formulation of the compound, called indirubin, improved the survival of mice with malignant brain tumors. They also tested a new formulation that was easier to administer, taking the potential pharmaceutical approach one step closer to clinical trials with human participants.
“The interesting thing about this drug is that it targets a number of important hallmarks of the disease,” said lead author Sean Lawler, an associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Brown University….