New advances on the inhibition of Siwei Xiaoliuyin combined with Temozolomide in glioma based on the regulatory mechanism of miRNA21/221

MicroRNAs, Key Regulators in Glioma Progression as Potential Therapeutic Targets for Chinese Medicine

Gliomas are tumors of the primary central nervous system associated with poor prognosis and high mortality. The 5-year survival rate of patients with gliomas received surgery combined with chemotherapy or radiotherapy does not exceed 5%. Although temozolomide is commonly used in the treatment of gliomas, the development of resistance limits its use. MicroRNAs are non-coding RNAs involved in numerous processes of glioma cells, such as proliferation, migration and apoptosis. MicroRNAs regulate cell cycle, PI3K/AKT signal pathway, and target apoptosis-related genes (e.g., BCL6), angiogenesis-related genes (e.g., VEGF) and other related genes to suppress gliomas. Evidence illustrates that microRNAs can regulate the sensitivity of gliomas to temozolomide, cisplatin, and carmustine, thereby enhancing the efficacy of these agents. Moreover, traditional Chinese medicine (e.g., tanshinone IIA, xanthohumol, and curcumin) exert antiglioma effects by regulating the expression of microRNAs, and then microRNAs inhibit gliomas through influencing the process of tumors by targeting certain genes. In this paper, the mechanisms through which microRNAs regulate the sensitivity of gliomas to therapeutic drugs are described, and traditional Chinese medicine that can suppress gliomas through microRNAs are discussed. This review aims to provide new insights into the traditional Chinese medicine treatment of gliomas.

The therapeutic and neuroprotective effects of an antiepileptic drug valproic acid in glioma patients

Glioma is the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults and the patients have poor prognosis despite treatment with surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The anti-epileptic drug, valproic acid (VPA) as a HDAC inhibitors is often used in glioma patients even if the patients don't have brain tumors associated epilepsy (BAE). Some previous studies have found that VPA not only has anti-epileptic effect, but also has anti-glioma growth effect through enhance radiotherapy sensitivity or other mechanism. Then VPA is reported to improve the survival of glioma patients receiving chemoradiation therapy. In addition, there are limited researches have shown that VPA has a neuroprotective effect in protect normal cells and tissues from the deleterious effects of treatment of glioma, especially radiotherapy. We'll give a brief overview of these effects of VPA in glioma patients.