Finding therapies that can enter the brain and effectively treat tumors remains a hugely significant challenge for patients with brain cancer. However, recent research published in Cell Reports has shown that fluoxetine (commonly known as Prozac) can both directly damage tumor cells by inhibiting a key metabolic process, as well as potentially make them more sensitive to chemotherapy (temozolomide). Fluoxetine is known to cross the blood-brain barrier and is currently used to treat depression. Combined with a well understood safety profile, this makes fluoxetine a therapy that could potentially be repurposed for the treatment of aggressive primary brain tumors (high-grade gliomas) that have recurred.
Based on these initial findings, a clinical trial led by Duke's Mustafa Khasraw, MD, and designed with Kirit Singh, MBBS, and the team of collaborators will evaluate the potential for combination fluoxetine and temozolomide to treat recurrent high-grade glioma. This innovative trial will enroll patients with recurrent disease who are eligible for re-treatment with chemotherapy and who will be considered for repeat surgical resection of their recurrence. The tissue from surgery will provide the research team with critical insights into the effect that combination fluoxetine and temozolomide are having on the tumor. These insights will be invaluable for helping to determine a safe and effective dose for combination therapy, and the results of this study will directly support the development of larger trials that are already under consideration.
For information about enrolling at Duke University, please contact the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center.