Researchers discover blood pressure medication may successfully treat rare benign brain tumors

By Fatma Zehra Solmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) - Researchers have discovered that a low-cost blood pressure medication may effectively treat a noncancerous but invasive brain tumor.

Craniopharyngioma is a rare, noncancerous brain tumor near the pituitary gland and hypothalamus. Because it affects important brain areas, it can cause hormone problems, vision issues, and complications such as diabetes, the South China Morning Post reported on Thursday.

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology investigated tumor growth and treatment and published their findings in Science Translational Medicine.

“Our research provides important ideas for the development of cancer drugs,” study lead Wu Qingfeng, a principal investigator at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, was quoted by the daily as saying.

Wu Qingfeng added that the study could inform future work on identifying cell origins and gene mutations, building animal models, using high-throughput drug screening to identify potential treatments, and using reverse translational research to study the mechanism of tumor growth.

"The study could guide future research on cell origins, gene mutations, the construction of animal models, drug screening, and tumor growth mechanisms using reverse translational research," he said.

Craniopharyngioma patients can experience a variety of symptoms such as severe obesity, diabetes, vision problems, and decreased hormone secretion, caused by the tumor's growth or its treatment.

The primary treatment for this brain tumor is surgical removal, but it carries risks of complications and regrowth, posing challenges for both neurosurgeons and endocrinologists.