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| Photo Credit Plymouth University |
A study led by Drs. Sylwia Ammoun and Rober Belshaw at the Brain Tumor Research Centre at the University of Plymouth found that specific sections of DNA that contain genes that produce proteins, called HERV-K, that play a key role in tumor development. The results were published in the December 2021 journal Cancer Research.
"High levels of proteins produced by HERV-K DNA have previously been linked to the development of different tumors," Dr. Ammoun said in a press release. "In this study, the team showed that high levels of HERV-K proteins were present in meningioma and schwannoma cells obtained from patients."
Meningioma is the most common form of primary brain tumors that most often are considered low-grade, however, these tumors can become cancerous over time. These tumors develop from cells located in the meninges, the protective membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Acoustic neuroma is a different type of low-grade, or non-cancerous brain tumor, which develops in nerve-protecting cells called Schwann cells.
In this study, the team showed that high levels of HERV-K proteins were present in meningioma and schwannoma cells obtained from patients, and identified several drugs that target these proteins, reducing the growth of schwannoma and grade I meningioma cells in the laboratory.
The drugs belong to a class of drugs called retroviral protease inhibitors, and include ritonavir, atazanavir, and lopinavir, all of which have been approved in the US for use in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. The researchers suggest that these drugs might be repurposed to treat brain tumors.
Source: University of Plymouth Brain Tumour Research Centre press release.
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