Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive and most common primary brain tumor in adults accounting for 50-60% of primary brain tumors. The prognosis for patients with GBM remains poor and treatment is mainly palliative with a mean survival time of less than one year. Radiotherapy is used extensively in the management of glioblastoma either alone or in combination with surgery and/or chemotherapy. However, this tumor is one of the most resistant tumors to radiotherapy thus limiting the benefit of this form of treatment. <p>Studies have shown that malignant tumors have a high content of glutathione an antioxidant responsible for protecting the cells against damage from free radicals (mainly superoxide, hydroxyl and hydrogen peroxide). It is well established that glutathione, by neutralizing these free radicals plays a major role in radioresistance. Glioblastoma has relatively high levels of glutathione. In this study, by reducing the glutathione content of glioblastoma in a rat model, we were able to investigate the effect of this reduction in enhancing the effect of radiotherapy as a form of treatment for glioblastoma multiforme in a rat model. <p>By injecting L-Buthionine-SR-Sulfoximine (BSO) in to the tumor tissue, the glutathione content of the tumor was reduced by about 70% of its initial value. When administered into the tumors 2 hours prior to radiotherapy the animals so treated had a significantly longer median survival time compared with animals that received radiotherapy alone.
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:USASK/oai:usask.ca:etd-04202008-213437 |
Date | 21 April 2008 |
Creators | Ataelmannan, Khalid Ali |
Contributors | Keith, Roger G., Juurlink, Bernhard H. J., Griebel, Robert W., Fourney, Daryl, Chapman, L. Dean, McFadden, Andrew, Vachhrajani, Haresh |
Publisher | University of Saskatchewan |
Source Sets | University of Saskatchewan Library |
Language | English |
Detected Language | English |
Type | text |
Format | application/pdf |
Source | http://library.usask.ca/theses/available/etd-04202008-213437/ |
Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University of Saskatchewan or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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