Using computer modeling, researchers from Houston Methodist have found that edelfosine, an FDA-approved investigational leukemia drug, can prevent cancer cells from metastasizing. Their work was published yesterday in Cancer Research.
In this study, the researchers introduced patient-derived and cell line derived cells into an animal model. They found astrocyte-involved tumor activation of the PCDH7 signaling pathway. They then introduced edelfosine and found that it was capable of blocking the DCHH7 signaling pathway and prevented brain metastases.
"This compound stopped the cancer cells from communicating with brain cells as they traveled from the breast to the brain. Repurposing a drug compound to prevent the spread of cancer could be a game-changer in the prevention and treatment of metastatic brain disease," said co-corresponding author Stephen T. Wong, Ph.D.
"Viable treatment options for brain metastases are still an unmet need," said co-corresponding author Hong Zhao, M.D., Ph.D. "Since edelfosine is already FDA-approved, we want to try and move this compound into a phase II clinical study for metastatic brain cancer in the next few years."
Wong and the lab are now looking to see if edelfosine could be part of other clinical research that focuses on other tumor sites.
Image: Tumor cells in a mouse brain at different days. Tumor cells are indicated as green dash lines. The blood vessels become leaky after day 6. In the upper panel, tumor cells formed colonization at day 14, while in the lower panel, when the mouse was treated with the compound edelfosine, most of the tumor cells disappeared at day 10 and failed to form colonization at day 14. Image courtesy of Houston Methodist.