Targeting Invasion - Fluvoxamine

http://astrocytomaoptions.com/targeting-invasion/

FLUVOXAMINE

In March of 2016 a Japanese group published research showing that the cheap, off-patent anti-depressant fluvoxamine inhibits GBM migration and invasion both in vitro, and in vivo in an orthotopic mouse model using human glioma-initiating cells [23].

In this study, 18 antidepressants and antipsychotics were screened in vitro for their ability to inhibit actin polymerization in GBM cell lines, a process essential for cell migration and invasion. Of these, the most potent inhibitor was found to be fluvoxamine. Fluvoxamine treatment of three GBM cell lines inhibited cell migration in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, fluvoxamine had no effect on cell proliferation in the same three cell lines.

In follow-up studies, the brains of nude mice were injected with human glioma-initiating cells. One week later, fluvoxamine treatment of the mice was initiated by daily intraperitoneal injection. The dosage of fluvoxamine used in the mice had no effect on mouse body weight. At four weeks, tumors were isolated and histologically examined. Untreated tumors showed a disorderly invasion into healthy tissue, while tumors from fluvoxamine-treated mice were significantly smaller with invading cells forming island-like shapes that clumped together at the tumor border. CD133 positive cells (a marker of glioma stem-like cells) were found localized to the small tumor area in the fluvoxamine-treated mice, while CD133+ cells had spread out from the main tumor in untreated control mice. Vascular endothelial cells and proliferative Ki-67-positive cells were also greatly reduced in the fluvoxamine-treated tumors. Survival of mice in the fluvoxamine-treated group was extended.