Treatment of glioblastoma with intravenous taurolidine. First clinical experience.
BACKGROUND
Despite progress in diagnosis and therapy, the prognosis of patients with glioblastoma remains poor. Recently it has been found that the antibacterial agent taurolidine has a direct and selective antineoplastic effect on brain tumor cells by the induction of programmed cell death. This paper reports on intravenous taurolidine treatment in two patients with a progressive glioblastoma despite conventional therapy.


METHODS
Two male patients with histopathologically diagnosed glioblastoma were included. The tumors were progressive despite conventional therapy. Intravenous taurolidine treatment was initiated.


RESULTS
The neurological condition and quality of life improved in both patients such that they could be discharged for further outpatient treatment. Follow-up demonstrated partial remission of the tumor in both patients. However, both patients died about 4 months following the start of taurolidine treatment, from pneumonia and acute thrombembolism, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Both patients achieved a transient, marked improvement in quality of life and partial tumor remission. There was a clear response to the taurolidine treatment.
Stendel
Ruediger
R
Department of Neurosurgery, Charité-Campus Benjamin Franklin, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany. rstendel@web.de
Picht
Thomas
T
Schilling
Andreas
A
Heidenreich
Jens
J
Loddenkemper
Christoph
C
Jänisch
Werner
W
Brock
Mario
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D013654:Taurine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013829:Thiadiazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D013829:Thiadiazines; D013654:Taurine; C012566:taurolidine