title: Treatment of glioblastoma with intravenous taurolidine. First clinical experience.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Charité-Campus Benjamin Franklin, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany. rstendel@web.de
authors.forename: Ruediger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stendel
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Picht
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schilling
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heidenreich
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Loddenkemper
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jänisch
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brock
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D013829:Thiadiazines; D013654:Taurine; C012566:taurolidine