Chlorpromazine in combination with nitrosourea inhibits experimental glioma growth

Modern cancer therapy has improved the prognosis for several tumour types. This, however, does not apply to the largest group of brain tumours, the malignant astrocytomas grades III-IV. Hence, there is need for new ideas to improve treatment. Ca2+ and the Ca(2+)-binding protein calmodulin have been shown to be involved in the processes conferring stability to DNA in proliferating neoplastic cells. We have combined the calmodulin-inhibiting neuroleptic drug chlorpromazine (CPZ), with the anti-neoplastic drug 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl-1)-nitrosourea (BCNU) in a treatment regime for rats with glioma cells implanted in the brain. A highly significant inhibiting effect upon the tumour growth was noticed, not by CPZ or BCNU as single drugs, but with their combination.