The Glioblastoma Problem: Targeting by Combined Medicinal Chemistry Approaches

Whilst knowledge of basic biology, diagnosis and prognosis of glioblastoma (GB – WHO grade IV) are steadily improving, advancements of therapy are discouragingly slow, with the only significant novelty during last ten years represented by introduction of temozolomide in chemotherapy. In order to analyze the current status of clinical research on GB, a literature search was conducted in PubMed using the terms: “glioma AND trial” over a 500 day period elapsing from Jan 1, 2013 to May 15, 2014 and results of Phase I, II and III trials were reviewed. Results in the pediatric setting were included as well. It was concluded that, as in other cancer research areas, an overwhelming amount of pre-clinical research acquisitions in the GB field are not presently translated to improved patients’ survival. In order to explore novel therapeutic avenues for this deadly tumour, two innovative medicinal chemistry approaches are proposed and discussed: a) Specific glioma initiating cell-radiosensitization by ATM inhibitors [1] and b) Specific glioma initiating cell-chemotherapeutic targeting by MYC inhibitors [2].