Dr. Arezu Jahani-Asl, a professor in molecular medicine at the University of Ottawa, knows firsthand about the devastating nature of glioblastoma and its impact on patients and families. “I have had friends and relatives diagnosed with glioblastoma. It is a heartbreaking disease for which there is no cure,” she explains. That’s why she is working tirelessly to better understand and treat glioblastoma.
Read the full story on the Canadian Institutes of Health Research website.
With funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), including a Canada Research Chair, Dr. Jahani-Asl discovered that a protein called oncostatin M receptor (OSMR) interacts with another protein—epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). These proteins form a network that promotes tumour growth and makes glioblastoma’s cancer cells resistant to therapies.
Additionally, the team found that blocking OSMR protein can suppress glioblastoma. These findings open the door to promising therapies that may interfere with this protein network. “Such treatments could be developed through gene editing and other approaches. We are currently screening for peptides and medications that could disrupt OSMR networks,” explains Dr. Jahani-Asl.
In another CIHR-funded study, Dr. Jahani-Asl identified an existing drug with potential to prevent the growth of glioblastoma’s stem cells. Her team discovered that edaravone, an ALS medication approved in the United States and Canada, can make cancerous stem cells more responsive to radiation, and could stop the tumour from growing back. “Using an approved and safe drug like edaravone could accelerate a clinical trial,” she says.
While these early results offer hope, the team has a lot of work ahead. Dr. Jahani-Asl is collaborating with researchers across Canada and the Unites States to turn these findings into novel, targeted therapies and better patient outcomes.
Learn more about Dr. Arezu Jahani-Asl’s research on her website: https://arezujahani.com/
Read the full story on the Canadian Institutes of Health Research website.
