In vitro and In vivo Activity of the Nuclear Factor-κB Inhibitor Sulfasalazine in Human Glioblastomas

Glioblastomas, the most common primary brain cancers, respond poorly to current treatment modalities and carry a dismal prognosis. In this study, we demonstrated that the transcription factor nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB is constitutively activated in glioblastoma surgical samples, primary cultures, and cell lines and promotes their growth and survival. Sulfasalazine, an anti-inflammatory drug that specifically inhibits the activation of NF-kappaB, blocked the cell cycle and induced apoptosis in several glioblastoma cell lines and primary cultures, as did gene therapy with a vector encoding a super-repressor of NF-kappaB. In vivo, sulfasalazine also significantly inhibited the growth of experimental human glioblastomas in nude mice brains. Given the documented safety of sulfasalazine in humans, these results may lead the way to a new class of glioma treatment.