The genotoxic methylating agents temozolomide (TMZ) and procarbazine and the chloroethylating nitrosourea lomustine (CCNU) are part of the standard repertoire in the therapy of malignant gliomas (CNS WHO grade 3 and 4). This review describes the mechanisms of their cytotoxicity and cytostatic activity through apoptosis, necroptosis, drug-induced senescence, and autophagy, interaction of critical damage with radiation-induced lesions, mechanisms of glioblastoma resistance to alkylating agents, including the alkyltransferase MGMT, mismatch repair, DNA double-strand break repair and DNA damage responses, as well as IDH-1 and PARP-1. Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors such as regorafenib, synthetic lethality using PARP inhibitors, and alternative therapies including tumor-treating fields (TTF) and CUSP9v3 are discussed in the context of alkylating drug therapy and overcoming glioblastoma chemoresistance. Recent studies have revealed that senescence is the main trait induced by TMZ in glioblastoma cells, exhibiting hereupon the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Strategies to eradicate therapy-induced senescence by means of senolytics as well as attenuating SASP by senomorphics are receiving increasing attention, with therapeutic implications to be discussed.
Keywords: CCNU; drug resistance; glioblastoma; procarbazine; temozolomide; therapy.