Scientists have discovered chemical that can kill glioblastoma cells

Researchers have found that aggressive brain tumor cells taken from patients can self-destruct after being exposed to chemicals in laboratory tests

The study could be the first step toward treating cancer such as glioblastoma, which killed Dame Tessa Jowell earlier this year.

The study, led by the University of Leeds, found that the synthetic chemical, known as KHS101, can cut off the energy source of glioblastoma tumor cells, causing them to die.Published in science translational medicine, the study represents an important step in tackling the disease, one of the deadliest cancers, with a five-year survival rate of less than five percent.More than 2,000 people are diagnosed with glioblastoma every year in the UK. Recently, parliament discussed it as a disease in urgent need of improved treatment options.

The new study, initially funded by the medical research council, shows promising results that could lead to the development of a treatment for brain cancer in the coming years.

Dr Heiko Wurdak of Leeds university, who led the international team, said: "" when we started this study, we thought KHS101 might slow the growth of glioblastoma, but we were surprised to find that when cancer cells were exposed to it, it was essentially self-destructing.

"" this is the first step in a long process, but our findings pave the way for drug developers to begin studying the use of this chemical, which we hope will one day help prolong people's lives in clinics." "

Studies have shown that the chemical destroys mitochondria and metabolism in cancer cells, cutting off the energy supply and causing the cancer cells to self-destruct.

To test whether KHS101 could cross the blood-brain barrier in mammals, cancer cells were transferred from humans to mice. The blood-brain barrier prevents most molecules from entering the brain, severely limiting treatment options.

Compared with mice given a placebo, KHS101 successfully crossed the blood-brain barrier, significantly reducing tumor growth (about 50 percent) and thus improving survival. Importantly, normal brain cells are not affected by the chemical.

The team also reviewed the effects of KHS101 on different gene maps between different tumor cells and different patients' tumors. In the past, genetic variations in tumors have complicated the work of determining a treatment, but the team found that all the variants of the tested glioblastoma subtypes were responsive to treatment.

Professor Richard gilbert, a brain tumor expert at cancer research UK who was not involved in the study, said: "the treatment of glioblastoma has been largely unchanged for decades, so it is urgent to conduct such pre-clinical studies to identify and identify potential new drugs.

"While these findings are encouraging, further rigorous testing and improvement of KHS101 as an experimental chemical is necessary before human trials begin."

Further research into KHS101's properties could lead to the discovery of similar drugs that also interfere with the energy sources that cause tumor cells to self-destruct, widening the range of treatment options available against brain tumors.