Brain Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Brain Cancer, including details on symptoms, benign and malignant tumors, gliomas, treatment.

Targeted delivery of antitumoral therapy to glioma and other malignancies with synthetic chlorotoxin (TM-601).

Mamelak AN, Jacoby DB

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Los Angeles, CA8631 W. Third Street, Suite 800e, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA. mamelaka@cshs.org

Targeted therapies for cancer is a rapidly advancing field, but the identification of tumor-specific ligands has proven difficult. Chlorotoxin (CTX) is a small, 36 amino acid neurotoxin isolated from the venom of the Giant Yellow Israeli scorpion Leiurus Quinquestriatus. Interestingly, the peptide has been found to preferentially bind to a variety of human malignancies, but shows little or no binding to normal human tissues. A synthetic version of this peptide (TM-601) has been manufactured and covalently linked to iodine 131 (131I-TM-601) as a means of targeting radiation to tumor cells. Preclinical studies and Phase I clinical trials have been completed in patients with recurrent glioma, a type of malignant brain tumor. These studies demonstrated that intracavitary dosing of 131I-TM-601 appears safe, minimally toxic, and binds malignant glioma with high affinity and for long durations. A Phase II trial of this agent using higher doses of radioactivity and repeated local administrations is underway. In addition, enrolment has begun in a Phase I trial evaluating whether systemically delivered 131I-TM-601 can be used to image metastatic solid tumors and primary gliomas. Due to its small size, selective tumor binding properties, minimal toxicity and relative ease of manipulation, CTX represents a potentially important targeting agent for many cancers.

Published 5 March 2007 in Expert Opin Drug Deliv, 4(2): 175-86.
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