Researchers at the National Cancer Center (NCC) said they have found a clue to develop a new treatment that suppresses the development and progression of malignant brain tumors.

The research team, led by Professors Park Jong-bae and Kim Jong-hun, identified that a protein called arsenite-resistance protein 2 (ARS2) activates one of the lipolytic enzymes, MAGL (monoacylglycerol lipase), in malignant brain tumors, which increases the tumor-associated macrophages.

It also discovered that a drug called JZL184, an anti-inflammatory agent, inhibits ARS2 and tumor-associated macrophages, verifying its efficacy through experiments with malignant brain tumor cell lines and animal trials. The team expects that it can prevent malignant brain tumors by controlling tumor-associated macrophages through JZL184.

“This study confirmed the mechanism by which the ARS2-MAGL signaling process promotes tumor-associated macrophages proliferation and its involvement in malignant brain tumors,” Professor Park said. “By confirming such facts, we were able to discover a treatment to target such a mechanism.”

Professor Kim also said, “We expect that further studies will able the clinical application of the treatment for other carcinomas with high expression of ARS2 and MAGL.”

The results of the study were published in Nature Communications.