Clark C. Chen, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘04-‘06) of the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, and colleagues, reported that FDA-approved anti-psychotic drugs possess tumor-killing activity against the most aggressive form of brain cancer, glioblastoma. In a genomic screen, they found that many genes required for glioblastoma growth are also required for dopamine receptor function. The researchers tested dopamine antagonists, used for treatment of disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia, against glioblastoma and found that these drugs have anti-tumor effects both in cultured cells and mouse models. These promising results suggest that these drugs may be effective for glioblastoma treatment. The finding was published in Oncotarget.
