title: Toxin-based targeted therapy for malignant brain tumors.
abstract: Despite advances in conventional treatment modalities for malignant brain tumors-surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy-the prognosis for patients with high-grade astrocytic tumor remains dismal. The highly heterogeneous and diffuse nature of astrocytic tumors calls for the development of novel therapies. Advances in genomic and proteomic research indicate that treatment of brain tumor patients can be increasingly personalized according to the characteristics of the targeted tumor and its environment. Consequently, during the last two decades, a novel class of investigative drug candidates for the treatment of central nervous system neoplasia has emerged: recombinant fusion protein conjugates armed with cytotoxic agents targeting tumor-specific antigens. The clinical applicability of the tumor-antigen-directed cytotoxic proteins as a safe and viable therapy for brain tumors is being investigated. Thus far, results from ongoing clinical trials are encouraging, as disease stabilization and patient survival prolongation have been observed in at least 109 cases. This paper summarizes the major findings pertaining to treatment with the different antiglioma cytotoxins at the preclinical and clinical stages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors.forename: Vidyalakshmi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chandramohan
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Sampson
authors.forename: Ira
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pastan
authors.forename: Darell D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Bigner
mesh_terms: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005910:Glioma / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000922:Immunotoxins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D057285:Precision Medicine; D011379:Prognosis; D040901:Proteomics; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016019:Survival Analysis; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D000922:Immunotoxins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins