Glutamate Excitotoxicity and Its Role in Glioblastoma Biology

Brain Tumor, Primary Clinical Trial

Official title:

Role of Glutamate-mediate Excitotoxicity in Invasion and Progression Processes of Glioblastoma Multiforme

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05775458
• Other study ID #: NCH02-2020
• Status: Recruiting
• Start date: June 1, 2020
• Est. completion date: September 30, 2026

Study information

• Verified date: January 2024
• Source: IRCCS San Raffaele
• Contact: Sincinelli Laura
• Phone: 0226436658
• Email: sincinelli.laura[@]hsr.it
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Observational

Clinical Trial Summary

Gliomas are the most frequent type of primary brain tumors in adults; among them glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most malignant, being associated with the worst prognosis. Glutamate (Glu) is an aminoacid, responsible for essential functions in the Central Nervous System (CNS), acting both as metabolite and neurotransmitter. It is essential for regulating cellular metabolism and developmental synaptogenesis, cellular migration, differentiation and death. Recent scientific evidences have demonstrated alteration in Glu synthesis and signaling being directly involved in GBM growth and invasion

Description:

Glu and its scavenger's levels are measurable both in serum and in the cerebral-spinal fluid (CSF), thus making them ideal markers for tumor aggressiveness and disease activity as well as a potential target for new therapeutic approaches.

Serum and CSF levels of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT1), Glutamate Pyruvate Transaminase (GPT) and glutamate and aspartate levels of a total of 40 patients will be collected.

Molecular biology analyses will be conducted and oncological and imaging data will be collected during follow-up in patients enrolled in the present studies. MRI imaging as well as blood sampling will be performed at definite timepoints (baseline and 3, 6 and 9 months follow-up).

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 50
• Est. completion date: September 30, 2026
• Est. primary completion date: November 1, 2025
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult patients with a brain lesion suspected for GBM, candidate to gross total tumor resection (GTR), followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy (concomitant and adjuvant).

• Patient able to provide informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age < 18 years

• Liver disease

• Severe anemia (Hb <8mg/dl)

• Pregnancy

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Brain Neoplasms
• Brain Tumor, Primary
• Glioblastoma

Intervention

Diagnostic Test:
• Blood, CSF and tumor samples
Blood, CSF and brain tissue sampling of Glu and Glu regulatory proteins.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Italy	IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute	Milan

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
IRCCS San Raffaele

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Italy, 

References & Publications (17)

Campos F, Rodriguez-Yanez M, Castellanos M, Arias S, Perez-Mato M, Sobrino T, Blanco M, Serena J, Castillo J. Blood levels of glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase are more strongly associated with good outcome in acute ischaemic stroke than glutamate pyruvate transaminase levels. Clin Sci (Lond). 2011 Jul;121(1):11-7. doi: 10.1042/CS20100427. — View Citation

Campos F, Sobrino T, Ramos-Cabrer P, Castellanos M, Blanco M, Rodriguez-Yanez M, Serena J, Leira R, Castillo J. High blood glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase levels are associated with good functional outcome in acute ischemic stroke. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2011 Jun;31(6):1387-93. doi: 10.1038/jcbfm.2011.4. Epub 2011 Jan 26. — View Citation

Chung WJ, Lyons SA, Nelson GM, Hamza H, Gladson CL, Gillespie GY, Sontheimer H. Inhibition of cystine uptake disrupts the growth of primary brain tumors. J Neurosci. 2005 Aug 3;25(31):7101-10. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5258-04.2005. — View Citation

Corsi L, Mescola A, Alessandrini A. Glutamate Receptors and Glioblastoma Multiforme: An Old "Route" for New Perspectives. Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Apr 11;20(7):1796. doi: 10.3390/ijms20071796. — View Citation

de Groot J, Sontheimer H. Glutamate and the biology of gliomas. Glia. 2011 Aug;59(8):1181-9. doi: 10.1002/glia.21113. Epub 2010 Dec 29. — View Citation

O'Kane RL, Martinez-Lopez I, DeJoseph MR, Vina JR, Hawkins RA. Na(+)-dependent glutamate transporters (EAAT1, EAAT2, and EAAT3) of the blood-brain barrier. A mechanism for glutamate removal. J Biol Chem. 1999 Nov 5;274(45):31891-5. doi: 10.1074/jbc.274.45.31891. — View Citation

Olar A, Aldape KD. Using the molecular classification of glioblastoma to inform personalized treatment. J Pathol. 2014 Jan;232(2):165-77. doi: 10.1002/path.4282. — View Citation

Rijpkema M, Schuuring J, van der Meulen Y, van der Graaf M, Bernsen H, Boerman R, van der Kogel A, Heerschap A. Characterization of oligodendrogliomas using short echo time 1H MR spectroscopic imaging. NMR Biomed. 2003 Feb;16(1):12-8. doi: 10.1002/nbm.807. — View Citation

Robert SM, Sontheimer H. Glutamate transporters in the biology of malignant gliomas. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2014 May;71(10):1839-54. doi: 10.1007/s00018-013-1521-z. Epub 2013 Nov 27. — View Citation

Roslin M, Henriksson R, Bergstrom P, Ungerstedt U, Bergenheim AT. Baseline levels of glucose metabolites, glutamate and glycerol in malignant glioma assessed by stereotactic microdialysis. J Neurooncol. 2003 Jan;61(2):151-60. doi: 10.1023/a:1022106910017. — View Citation

Ruban A, Berkutzki T, Cooper I, Mohar B, Teichberg VI. Blood glutamate scavengers prolong the survival of rats and mice with brain-implanted gliomas. Invest New Drugs. 2012 Dec;30(6):2226-35. doi: 10.1007/s10637-012-9799-5. — View Citation

Ruban A, Biton IE, Markovich A, Mirelman D. MRS of brain metabolite levels demonstrates the ability of scavenging of excess brain glutamate to protect against nerve agent induced seizures. Int J Mol Sci. 2015 Feb 2;16(2):3226-36. doi: 10.3390/ijms16023226. — View Citation

Stupp R, Mason WP, van den Bent MJ, Weller M, Fisher B, Taphoorn MJ, Belanger K, Brandes AA, Marosi C, Bogdahn U, Curschmann J, Janzer RC, Ludwin SK, Gorlia T, Allgeier A, Lacombe D, Cairncross JG, Eisenhauer E, Mirimanoff RO; European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Brain Tumor and Radiotherapy Groups; National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group. Radiotherapy plus concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide for glioblastoma. N Engl J Med. 2005 Mar 10;352(10):987-96. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa043330. — View Citation

Takano T, Lin JH, Arcuino G, Gao Q, Yang J, Nedergaard M. Glutamate release promotes growth of malignant gliomas. Nat Med. 2001 Sep;7(9):1010-5. doi: 10.1038/nm0901-1010. — View Citation

Teichberg VI, Cohen-Kashi-Malina K, Cooper I, Zlotnik A. Homeostasis of glutamate in brain fluids: an accelerated brain-to-blood efflux of excess glutamate is produced by blood glutamate scavenging and offers protection from neuropathologies. Neuroscience. 2009 Jan 12;158(1):301-8. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.02.075. Epub 2008 Mar 18. — View Citation

Wang W, Shi G, Ma B, Hao X, Dong X, Zhang B. Chemotherapy for Adults with Malignant Glioma: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. Turk Neurosurg. 2017;27(2):174-181. doi: 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.15462-15.0. — View Citation

Willard SS, Koochekpour S. Glutamate signaling in benign and malignant disorders: current status, future perspectives, and therapeutic implications. Int J Biol Sci. 2013 Aug 9;9(7):728-42. doi: 10.7150/ijbs.6475. eCollection 2013. — View Citation

* Note: There are 17 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Other	Association between Glutamate metabolism and Glioblastoma molecular signature	Association between Glu and Glu-scavengers' levels and molecular patterns of Glioblastoma as described by 2021 WHO classification	Baseline levels of markers
Primary	Baseline characterization of Glutamate scavengers (Glu-sca) levels in serum	Serum GOT1 (UI/ml), GPT (UI/ml)	Baseline (before surgery)
Primary	Baseline characterization of Glutamate (Glu) levels in serum	Serum Glutamate (µM/L)	Baseline (before surgery)
Primary	Time changes in Glutamate scavengers (Glu-sca) levels in serum	Serum GOT1 (UI/ml), GPT (UI/ml)	At 3, 6, 9 months following surgery
Primary	Time changes in Glutamate (Glu) levels in serum	Serum Glutamate (µM/L)	At 3, 6, 9 months following surgery
Secondary	Characterization of Glutamate scavengers (Glu-sca) levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)	CSF levels GOT1 (UI/ml), GPT (UI/ml)	Baseline (before surgery)
Secondary	Characterization of Glutamate (Glu) levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)	CSF levels Glutamate (µM/L)	Baseline (before surgery)