Targeting autophagy to sensitive glioma to temozolomide treatment

J Exp Clin Cancer Res. 2016 Feb 2:35:23. doi: 10.1186/s13046-016-0303-5.

Abstract

Temozolomide (TMZ), an alkylating agent, is widely used for treating primary and recurrent high-grade gliomas. However, the efficacy of TMZ is often limited by the development of resistance. Recently, studies have found that TMZ treatment could induce autophagy, which contributes to therapy resistance in glioma. To enhance the benefit of TMZ in the treatment of glioblastomas, effective combination strategies are needed to sensitize glioblastoma cells to TMZ. In this regard, as autophagy could promote cell survival or autophagic cell death, modulating autophagy using a pharmacological inhibitor, such as chloroquine, or an inducer, such as rapamycin, has received considerably more attention. To understand the effectiveness of regulating autophagy in glioblastoma treatment, this review summarizes reports on glioblastoma treatments with TMZ and autophagic modulators from in vitro and in vivo studies, as well as clinical trials. Additionally, we discuss the possibility of using autophagy regulatory compounds that can sensitive TMZ treatment as a chemotherapy for glioma treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
  • Autophagy / drug effects*
  • Brain Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Chloroquine / pharmacology*
  • Chloroquine / therapeutic use
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Dacarbazine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Dacarbazine / therapeutic use
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm
  • Drug Synergism
  • Glioblastoma / drug therapy*
  • Humans
  • Sirolimus / pharmacology*
  • Sirolimus / therapeutic use
  • Temozolomide

Substances

  • Dacarbazine
  • Chloroquine
  • Sirolimus
  • Temozolomide