Drug treatment may benefit only select group of patients with glioblastoma

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

Clinicians testing dasatinib, approved for several blood cancers, were hoping to find that it would slow the growth of glioblastomas. They found that the drug does inhibit proteins that promote tumor growth; however, it also inhibits proteins that protect against cancer, a finding that negates any benefit of using the drug for patients with glioblastoma.

Findings from the researchers at Mayo Clinic, who conducted one of the clinical trials, suggest that pretesting glioblastoma biopsies may help identify those patients who will benefit from treatment with dasatinib. The drug is a general Src-family kinase (SFK) inhibitor.

The researchers teased apart the effect on individual Src family members (Src, Fyn, Yes, and Lyn). They found that dasatinib inhibited Src, Fyn, and Yes, which reduced growth and migration. It also inhibited Lyn, which protects against cancer growth.

The researchers also found that tumors express all members of the Src family differently, and expression of Yes and Lyn differed among tumors.

Although further testing is needed, the findings suggest that some patients may derive benefit from treatment with dasatinib, in particular those whose tumors express Yes, but not Lyn.