Gandhinagar: Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) have identified two experimental compounds that could help tackle glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer known for developing resistance to chemotherapy.
The compounds, SPK17 and SPK17b, target TTK, a protein involved in regulating cell division and linked to the progression of glioblastoma. The findings have been published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry and RSC Medicinal Chemistry.
Laboratory tests found that both compounds were effective against human glioblastoma cells at significantly lower concentrations than temozolomide (TMZ), a standard chemotherapy drug. SPK17 generated approximately eight times the cell-death signal compared with TMZ in experimentally developed drug-resistant cancer cells. SPK17b also showed promising results, reducing cancer cell survival and limiting their ability to spread.
The researchers identified different mechanisms behind the compounds’ activity. SPK17 interferes with the cell division checkpoint, allowing damaged DNA to accumulate and triggering cell death. Meanwhile, SPK17b increases reactive oxygen species, damaging cancer cells by overwhelming their internal defence systems.
The research involved PhD scholars Gaurav Rai and Deepika from IITGN’s Chemistry Department, under the guidance of Professor Sivapriya Kirubakaran, who leads the institute’s Cancer Chemical Biology laboratory.
The researchers said further studies are required to establish the compounds’ safety and effectiveness. Animal studies are underway to evaluate their therapeutic potential.
The findings offer a possible new direction in the search for treatments against drug-resistant glioblastoma, though the compounds are still at an experimental stage.
