In vitro and in vivo activity of the nuclear factor-kappaB inhibitor sulfasalazine in human glioblastomas

Pierre A Robe, Mohamed Bentires-Alj, Marianne Bonif, Bernard Rogister, Manuel Deprez, Heddi Haddada, Minh-Tuan Nguyen Khac, Olivier Jolois, Kadir Erkmen, Marie-Paule Merville, Peter M Black, Vincent Bours

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Glioblastomas, the most common primary brain cancers, respond poorly to current treatment modalities and carry a dismal prognosis. In this study, we demonstrated that the transcription factor nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB is constitutively activated in glioblastoma surgical samples, primary cultures, and cell lines and promotes their growth and survival. Sulfasalazine, an anti-inflammatory drug that specifically inhibits the activation of NF-kappaB, blocked the cell cycle and induced apoptosis in several glioblastoma cell lines and primary cultures, as did gene therapy with a vector encoding a super-repressor of NF-kappaB. In vivo, sulfasalazine also significantly inhibited the growth of experimental human glioblastomas in nude mice brains. Given the documented safety of sulfasalazine in humans, these results may lead the way to a new class of glioma treatment.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)5595-603
Number of pages9
JournalClinical Cancer Research
Volume10
Issue number16
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Aug 2004

Keywords

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/toxicity
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Brain Neoplasms/drug therapy
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Genetic Therapy
  • Glioblastoma/drug therapy
  • Humans
  • NF-kappa B/antagonists & inhibitors
  • Sulfasalazine/toxicity
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

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