BENGALURU: Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have uncovered a previously unknown gene mutation that is linked to a highly aggressive form of a brain tumour called glioblastoma. This deadly disease grows and spreads very quickly in the brain, and is difficult to treat. Even with proper treatment, patients survive only for 15-17 months on an average after diagnosis. Identifying genetic changes that govern cancer growth and spread may help pinpoint new drug targets, and develop treatments that are more effective.
In a current study, the researchers identified a biological pathway involving a signalling protein called calcitonin, which suppresses growth in cancer cells. When calcitonin binds to a receptor — a protein that picks up external signals — on the cancer cell surface, the resulting chain reaction blocks pathways that allow the cells to grow and spread. Patients who had mutations in the gene coding for this receptor had more aggressive tumours and a much shorter survival time — about 3-4 months, the study found.
“If the tumours carry the mutated gene, the patients are likely to have a more aggressive disease, and are unlikely to get benefit from the current treatment,” says Kumar Somasundaram, senior author of the research and Professor at the Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, IISc. Calcitonin, which is commonly prescribed as a drug for bone problems, could also be “re-purposed” and given in combination with current treatment to patients who carry the normal gene, the authors suggest. This could boost the efficiency of treatment and the patients’ survival, they say.
The study, carried out in collaboration with scientists at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, was published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research. Glioblastoma is the deadliest and most common form of brain cancer in adults. It represents the final stage (grade IV) of a lethal cancer called astrocytoma. The tumours spread far and deep into the tissue surrounding nerve cells.