Sulfasalazine and Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Recurrent Glioblastoma

Summary

This study evaluates the safety associated with the addition of sulfasalazine to stereotactic radiosurgery for recurrent glioblastoma. Sulfasalazine is a potential tumor selective radiosensitizer.

Timeline

Start

2020-03-01

Primary completion

2022-10-14

Completion

2022-10-14

Publications

• Background Sleire L, Skeie BS, Netland IA, Forde HE, Dodoo E, Selheim F, Leiss L, Heggdal JI, Pedersen PH, Wang J, Enger PO. Drug repurposing: sulfasalazine sensitizes gliomas to gamma knife radiosurgery by blocking cystine uptake through system Xc-, leading to glutathione depletion. Oncogene. 2015 Dec 3;34(49):5951-9. doi: 10.1038/onc.2015.60. Epub 2015 Mar 23.
• Background Skeie BS, Enger PO, Brogger J, Ganz JC, Thorsen F, Heggdal JI, Pedersen PH. gamma knife surgery versus reoperation for recurrent glioblastoma multiforme. World Neurosurg. 2012 Dec;78(6):658-69. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2012.03.024. Epub 2012 Apr 4.
• Background Dodoo E, Huffmann B, Peredo I, Grinaker H, Sinclair G, Machinis T, Enger PO, Skeie BS, Pedersen PH, Ohlsson M, Orrego A, Kraepelien T, Barsoum P, Benmakhlouf H, Herrman L, Svensson M, Lippitz B. Increased survival using delayed gamma knife radiosurgery for recurrent high-grade glioma: a feasibility study. World Neurosurg. 2014 Nov;82(5):e623-32. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2014.06.011. Epub 2014 Jun 13.
• Background Sontheimer H, Bridges RJ. Sulfasalazine for brain cancer fits. Expert Opin Investig Drugs. 2012 May;21(5):575-8. doi: 10.1517/13543784.2012.670634. Epub 2012 Mar 12.
• Background Chung WJ, Lyons SA, Nelson GM, Hamza H, Gladson CL, Gillespie GY, Sontheimer H. Inhibition of cystine uptake disrupts the growth of primary brain tumors. J Neurosci. 2005 Aug 3;25(31):7101-10. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5258-04.2005.
• Background Skeie BS, Wang J, Dodoo E, Heggdal JI, Gronli J, Sleire L, Bragstad S, Ganz JC, Chekenya M, Mork S, Pedersen PH, Enger PO. Gamma knife surgery as monotherapy with clinically relevant doses prolongs survival in a human GBM xenograft model. Biomed Res Int. 2013;2013:139674. doi: 10.1155/2013/139674. Epub 2013 Nov 10.
• Background Takeuchi S, Wada K, Nagatani K, Otani N, Osada H, Nawashiro H. Sulfasalazine and temozolomide with radiation therapy for newly diagnosed glioblastoma. Neurol India. 2014 Jan-Feb;62(1):42-7. doi: 10.4103/0028-3886.128280.
• Background Robe PA, Martin DH, Nguyen-Khac MT, Artesi M, Deprez M, Albert A, Vanbelle S, Califice S, Bredel M, Bours V. Early termination of ISRCTN45828668, a phase 1/2 prospective, randomized study of sulfasalazine for the treatment of progressing malignant gliomas in adults. BMC Cancer. 2009 Oct 19;9:372. doi: 10.1186/1471-2407-9-372.
• Skeie BS, Craig-Craven AR, Gruner ER, Biermann M, Riemer F, Bragstad S, Sarowar S, Behbahani M, Sleire L, Schwarzlmuller T, Goplen D, Heggdal JI, Knisely JPS, Schulder M, Eide GE, Filippi CG, Enger PO. Phase 1 dose-escalation trial combining sulfasalazine and stereotactic radiosurgery in patients with recurrent glioblastoma. Redox Biol. 2026 May 30;95:104241. doi: 10.1016/j.redox.2026.104241. Online ahead of print.
• Wang F, Oudaert I, Tu C, Maes A, Van der Vreken A, Vlummens P, De Bruyne E, De Veirman K, Wang Y, Fan R, Massie A, Vanderkerken K, Shang P, Menu E. System Xc- inhibition blocks bone marrow-multiple myeloma exosomal crosstalk, thereby countering bortezomib resistance. Cancer Lett. 2022 Jun 1;535:215649. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2022.215649. Epub 2022 Mar 18.
• Liu N, Zhang J, Yin M, Liu H, Zhang X, Li J, Yan B, Guo Y, Zhou J, Tao J, Hu S, Chen X, Peng C. Inhibition of xCT suppresses the efficacy of anti-PD-1/L1 melanoma treatment through exosomal PD-L1-induced macrophage M2 polarization. Mol Ther. 2021 Jul 7;29(7):2321-2334. doi: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.03.013. Epub 2021 Mar 17.

Drugs

Indications