Glioblastoma (GBM) is an extremely aggressive cancer for which there are limited treatment options. Despite recent advances in therapy, the prognosis remains dismal and patient survival is short. After standard therapy, the recurrent tumors become resistant to therapy and render them extremely difficult to treat. The team of Prof Mirza from UWM (Chemistry & Biochemistry Department) and Prof. Mona Al-Gizawiy from the Medical College of Wisconsin (Biophysics Department) are investigating if gallium, an iron mimetic, can be used to target cancer iron metabolism.
Iron plays a vital role in pathobiology of many cancers including brain cancer. In this proposal, a high-throughput characterization of iron regulating proteins will be carried out using mass spectrometry-based proteomics analyzing rat plasma from glioblastoma xenografts. The aim is to answer pressing questions regarding response to therapy and differentiating short-term vs long-term survivors. This work is supported by the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment grant, affiliated with the Medical College of Wisconsin.