Bioinformatics analysis reveals potential candidate drugs for different subtypes of glioma

Gliomas are the most common primary brain tumors of the central nervous system. However, current approaches for treating glioma have limited success, with a low 5-year survival rate. Besides, gliomas can be classified based on various criteria and the exact method of grading changes over time, it is hard for the surgeons to choose the suitable treatment strategies for glioma patients. In present study, we sought to explore the commonalities between different subtypes of glioma, and then identify biologically active small molecules capable of targeting all subtypes of glioma using a computational bioinformatics analysis of gene expression. Results showed that there were common differentially expressed genes between different subtypes of glioma. Pathways related to tumorigenesis and signaling transduction were dysfunctional in the progression of glioma. Further, we identified a group of small molecules. Candidate agents identified by our approach may provide the groundwork for a combination therapy approach for glioma. However, further evaluation for their potential use in the treatment of glioma is still needed.