| Project title | Exploiting chloroquine as an anti-glioma agent |
|---|---|
Grant Amount | $10,000 |
Institution | Children’s Medical Research Institute |
Investigator Team | Principal investigators Dr. Daniel Speidel and Dr. Ella Kim |
Grant Type | Ad Hoc |
Years | 2008 – 2009 |
This project will examine the utility of chloroquine, a well known anti-malaria drug, in inhibiting the growth of malignant glioma. This follows previous research which suggested that chloroquine could activate a tumour suppressor gene, called p53, and in doing so has beneficial effects in the treatment of glioma. This study will identify and clarify the molecular mechanisms of chloroquine, and examine its potential benefit in glioma.
“Our studies revealed several important insights into the molecular mechanisms of chloroquine and provide evidence for a potent anti-glioma effect of this drug.”
Dr. Daniel Speidel
Progress: Final report (2009)
Our study demonstrates that chloroquine is effective in suppressing growth and inducing apoptosis of malignant glioma cells in vitro and of experimental glioma in vivo. Moreover, we are first to show that chloroquine causes a sustained stabilisation of the p53 protein and activates the p53-mediated transcriptional program in glioma cells. The activation of p53-mediated apoptosis by chloroquine provides a significant contribution to the anti-tumour effect of the agent. Provided that chloroquine has been in clinical use for over 60 years, our study suggests chloroquine as a very promising candidate drug in the treatment of malignant gliomas.