Grant: Collaborative Health Research Projects (NSERC partnered)

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common brain tumor in adults and is a death sentence for patients. The strikingly poor survival for patients with GBM (average survival 14-16 months following diagnosis) is due in part to limited early detection methods and an absence of effective therapeutic options. The studies proposed would establish important evidence for the use of Health Canada approved drugs such as amantadine and rimantadine as a safe, effective and affordable way to monitor GBM. The method is based on the over-production of a key enzyme in GBM cells called spermine/ spermadine n-acetyl transferase (SSAT1). The increased SSAT1 expression in GBM results in increased metabolism of the drug which is detected in the blood or urine of patients with GBM. Studies will provide evidence for the effectiveness of the drug amantadine, in detecting GBM in both cell culture and accepted rodent brain tumor models. Other drugs with similar chemical structure to amantadine will be examined in the cell culture and animal models to optimize the drug biomarker for brain penetration and tumor cell activity. The studies will conclude with an initial assessment of the selected drug biomarker in patients with GBM to determine feasibility for clinical brain tumor applications. These bench to bedside studies will be utilized by our industrial partner, BioMark Diagnostics, to help improve identification and care for patients with GB.