Inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in combination with conventional chemotherapy as a new treatment option for GBM patients

Introduction: Despite intense research into therapeutic options for GBM patients, their life expectancy has remained dismal for the last twenty years. Within the context of a multidisciplinary clinical study we evaluate novel therapeutic approaches for treatment of glioblastoma, combining conventional chemotherapy with pharmacological inhibitors that block various components of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling cascade. Methods: Established GBM cell lines as well as primary specimens were treated either with chemotherapy (SN-38 and TMZ) or a Pi3K/mTor Inhibitor (Rapamycin or GDC-0941) alone or in combination. Results:…