Nausea drug can kill brain tumours

Scientists have discovered that the growth of brain tumours can be halted by a drug currently used to help patients recover from chemotherapy-induced nausea.

New research looked at the relationship between brain tumours and a peptide associated with inflammation in the brain, called "substance P". Substance P is commonly released throughout the body by the nervous system, and contributes to tissue swelling following injury. In the brain, levels of substance P greatly increase after traumatic brain injury and stroke.

Researchers have known for some time that levels of substance P are also greatly increased in different tumour types around the body.

Researchers wanted to know if these elevated levels of the peptide were also present in brain tumour cells, and if so, whether or not they were affecting tumour growth. Importantly, they wanted to see if they could stop tumour growth by blocking substance P.

Researchers found that levels of substance P were greatly increased in brain tumour tissue. Knowing that substance P binds to a receptor called NK1, they used an antagonist drug called Emend to stop substance P binding to the receptor. Emend is already used in cancer clinics to help patients with chemotherapy-induced nausea.

They were successful in blocking substance P from binding to the NK1 receptor, which resulted in a reduction in brain tumour growth - and it also caused cell death in the tumour cells.

Thus preventing the actions of substance P from carrying out its role in brain tumours actually halted the growth of brain cancer.