Activity of irofulven (6-hydroxymethylacylfulvene) in the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme-derived xenografts in athymic mice

Purpose: This study was conducted to define the activity of irofulven in the treatment of a series of xenografts derived from human glioblastoma multiforme growing subcutaneously and intracranially in athymic nude mice.

Methods: Athymic mice bearing subcutaneous or intracranial tumors were treated with irofulven at a 10% lethal dose with responses compared to tumor-bearing mice treated with drug vehicle.

Results: Irofulven was active against all tumor lines tested with growth delays ranging from 5.6 to 81.6 days (all values statistically significant, P < or = 0.001). Irofulven also produced a statistically significant (P < or = 0.001) increase in the median survival of mice bearing D-456 intracranial xenografts with a 162% increase in median survival.

Conclusions: Irofulven is active in a spectrum of human glioblastoma multiforme-derived xenografts and evaluation in patients with this neoplasm is warranted.