Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that a protein that
transports sodium, potassium and chloride may hold clues to how
glioblastoma, the most common and deadliest type of brain
cancer, moves and invades nearby healthy brain tissue. The
findings, reported in the journal PLoS Biology, also suggest
that a cheap FDA-approved drug already on the market could slow
movement of glioblastoma cells, and contain their spread. "The
biggest challenge in brain cancer is the migration of cancer
cells. We can't control it," says study leader Alfredo Quinones-
Hinojosa, M.D., an associate professor of neurosurgery and
oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "If
we could catch these cells before they take off into other parts
of the brain, we could make malignant tumors more manageable,
and improve life expectancy and quality of life. This discovery
gives us hope and brings us closer to a cure." Glioblastoma,
which is diagnosed in roughly 10,000 Americans each year, is so
aggressive that the average