NK-1 Receptor Blockers Could Be a New Treatment Strategy for Deadly Brain Cancer Glioblastoma
Substance P/NK-1R signaling promotes glioblastoma growth, anti-apoptosis, invasion, and vascularization, making NK-1R antagonists a promising additional therapeutic target for this deadly brain tumor.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
SP/NK-1R signaling controls GBM cell growth, exerts anti-apoptotic effects, stimulates invasion/metastasis, and activates vascularization. NK-1R antagonists can block these cancer-promoting effects and represent a potential additional treatment target.
Key Numbers
GBM survival <1 year; NK-1R antagonists inhibited growth, invasion, and apoptosis resistance in preclinical GBM studies.
How They Did This
Review of published literature on substance P/NK-1R pathway roles in glioblastoma and other cancers, with evaluation of NK-1R antagonist therapeutic potential.
Why This Research Matters
GBM survival remains dismal despite decades of research. Repurposing NK-1R antagonists (already FDA-approved for other uses) could provide an accessible new treatment option, either alone or in combination with standard therapies.
The Bigger Picture
The discovery that neuropeptides drive brain tumor progression reveals the nervous system as an active participant in cancer biology. Targeting neurotransmitter pathways in brain cancer represents an innovative approach that leverages the brain's own signaling molecules.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Review-level evidence — clinical trials of NK-1R antagonists in GBM have not been conducted. Blood-brain barrier penetration of NK-1R antagonists varies. The relative contribution of SP/NK-1R signaling versus other oncogenic pathways in GBM is unclear.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would NK-1R antagonists enhance the efficacy of temozolomide or radiation in GBM?
- ?What is the optimal NK-1R antagonist for brain tumor penetration?
- ?Could NK-1R pathway biomarkers predict which GBM patients would benefit most?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- <1 year overall survival for GBM patients, highlighting urgent need for new therapeutic approaches like NK-1R antagonists
- Evidence Grade:
- Review of preclinical and mechanistic evidence supporting NK-1R as a GBM target. No clinical trial data for this indication yet.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2021. NK-1R antagonist repurposing for cancer continues to be explored in preclinical and early clinical settings.
- Original Title:
- Neurokinin-1 Receptor (NK-1R) Antagonists: Potential Targets in the Treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme.
- Published In:
- Current medicinal chemistry, 28(24), 4877-4892 (2021)
- Authors:
- Afshari, Amir R, Motamed-Sanaye, Ali, Sabri, Hamed, Soltani, Arash, Karkon-Shayan, Sepideh, Radvar, Sarvin, Javid, Hossein, Mollazadeh, Hamid, Sathyapalan, Thozhukat, Sahebkar, Amirhossein
- Database ID:
- RPEP-05255
Evidence Hierarchy
Summarizes existing research on a topic.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
What is glioblastoma?
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive primary brain tumor in adults. Despite treatment with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, average survival is less than 15 months.
How could an anti-nausea drug treat brain cancer?
Aprepitant blocks the NK-1 receptor, which cancer cells use for growth and survival signaling. While approved for chemotherapy-induced nausea, its receptor-blocking ability could also directly inhibit tumor progression.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkpeptides.com/research/RPEP-05255APA
Afshari, Amir R; Motamed-Sanaye, Ali; Sabri, Hamed; Soltani, Arash; Karkon-Shayan, Sepideh; Radvar, Sarvin; Javid, Hossein; Mollazadeh, Hamid; Sathyapalan, Thozhukat; Sahebkar, Amirhossein. (2021). Neurokinin-1 Receptor (NK-1R) Antagonists: Potential Targets in the Treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme.. Current medicinal chemistry, 28(24), 4877-4892. https://doi.org/10.2174/0929867328666210113165805
MLA
Afshari, Amir R, et al. "Neurokinin-1 Receptor (NK-1R) Antagonists: Potential Targets in the Treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme.." Current medicinal chemistry, 2021. https://doi.org/10.2174/0929867328666210113165805
RethinkPeptides
RethinkPeptides Research Database. "Neurokinin-1 Receptor (NK-1R) Antagonists: Potential Targets..." RPEP-05255. Retrieved from https://rethinkpeptides.com/research/afshari-2021-neurokinin1-receptor-nk1r-antagonists
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkPeptides research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.