New research shows that two drugs can block growth and shrink the size of a brain cancer.
The nerves that carry hearing and balance information into the brain are the most common sites for the tumours. The most common nerve sheath tumours are swannomas, and can be found in anyone, but are also linked to a hereditary condition.
Schwannomas and meningioma tumours associated with the brain and spine are frequently developed in patients who have lost the function of theprotein Merlin.
The treatment of both types of tumours is difficult, with surgery being the current mainstay, but also carrying a high risk of damage to the surrounding normal nervous system tissue.
An international team of scientists focused on the Hippo signalling pathway, which normally controls organ size in human tissues and cells, but is dysregulated in multiple types of cancer.
After just 21 days of the drugs being administered, the researchers showed that the growth of the tumours can be dramatically reduced.
The Hippo pathway inhibitors VT1 and VT2 were found to cause the death of tumours cells and a reduction in the size of the tumours.
The drugs from this new class of Hippo pathway inhibitors are currently being tested in Phase 1 clinical trials.
The compounds seem to block the growth of meningioma tumours. Meningioma is a second tumours type seen in patients with NF2 and is the most common brain cancer.
The impact of using these new therapies to hit both tumours at the same time has the potential to be very valuable.
The study was led by Professor of Neuroscience David Parkinson and was published in the journal Brain.
The Brain Tumour Research Charity supports a Centre of excellence for research into low-grade brain tumours at the University.
"We are really excited to show that blocking the Hippo pathway is highly effective in preventing schwannoma and meningioma growth." The drugs are well-tolerated in our models, and we hope that our work will encourage the use of these drugs in clinical trials.
The current study gives an indication that we may be able to provide a successful alternative treatment for patients with schwannoma. Schwannoma and meningioma tumours can be found in patients with the type 2 disease. The prospect of a single drug that could treat both tumours types without the need for risky surgery is exciting for those patients.
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