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BEHANDLING-God og treffsikker diagnostikk, behandling og rehabilitering

Improving prognosis of patients with glioblastoma: Linking health registry and clinical data to basic brain tumour research

Alternative title: Forbedring av prognosen til pasienter med glioblastom. En translasjonell studie av primære hjernesvulster (GLIO-Link)

Awarded: NOK 7.5 mill.

GLIO-Link will combine basic brain tumour research with nationwide population-based health registry and clinical data to screen brain penetrating drugs for their anti-tumour effects, where the aim is to identify novel targets and develop new treatment strategies for patients with glioblastoma (GBM). GLIO-Link has three specific objectives and is organized into work four packages (WPs). The Norwegian Cancer Society will fund the first objective (corresponding to WP 2) and the Research Council of Norway will fund the second and third objectives (corresponding to WPs 3 and 4). GBM is the most frequent and aggressive primary brain tumour in adults. The prognosis of patients with GBM is generally poor (median survival is about 15 months) due to the highly invasive growth pattern of the tumour and the limited response to standard chemotherapeutic agents such as Temozolomide (TMZ). In need for new treatment options, we have been able to identify specific antipsychotic drugs, acting as chemosensitizing agents, which may improve the prognosis of the patients. In GLIO-Link, we will explore the prognosis of GBM patients on antipsychotic and antidepressant drugs, using health registry data (Cancer Registry of Norway, Norwegian Prescription Database and other national databases) (objective 1). In sub-analyses, more detailed clinical data will supplement the registry data. We will also explore the risk of developing glioblastoma in patients taking antipsychotic and antidepressant drugs. To develop pharmacologically optimized drugs, the most promising tumour inhibiting or chemosensitizing compounds will be tested and validated in the laboratory. We aim at enhancing the effect of the drugs, but also to reduce potential side effects (objective 2). To further evaluate the effect of the candidate drugs, they will be tested in human GBM biopsies, using advanced technology (objective 3). We will focus on precision-based medical therapy to increase survival of the patients with GBM.

In view of the general poor prognosis of patients with glioblastoma (GBM) and the limited response to the standard chemotherapeutic agents such as Temozolomide (TMZ), there is an unmet need for novel treatment strategies for GBMs. In the GLIO-Link project, we will combine registry data, clinical data and cutting edge primary brain tumour research as well as medicinal chemistry to further investigate and discover novel therapeutic options for GBMs. We are identifying novel chemosensitizing compounds for the treatment of GBM through comprehensive data analyses, we are developing novel pharmacologically optimized therapeutic compounds, and are gaining functional profiles of the candidate drugs in human GBM biopsies. Our unique “from database-over bench-to bedside” approach might therefore become a fundamental pillar in the field of translational cancer research. GLIO-Link has three specific objectives and is organized into work four packages (WPs). The Norwegian Cancer Society will fund the first objective (corresponding to WP 2) and the Research Council of Norway will mainly fund the second and third objectives (corresponding to WPs 3 and 4).

Funding scheme:

BEHANDLING-God og treffsikker diagnostikk, behandling og rehabilitering