Glutamate in glioma related seizures

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Glutamate dysfunction in glioma - correlating Magnetic resonance spectroscopy with ex-vivo electrophysiology

• IRAS ID

  233189

• Contact name

  Mark Cunningham

• Contact email

  Mark.Cunningham@newcastle.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 8 months, 10 days

• Research summary

  Seizures are a frequent and serious problem for patients with brain tumours and are often not controlled with current best medical and surgical treatments. Any research that can shed light on how patients with brain tumours develop seizures will help clinicians and scientists in managing patients and developing new treatments.
  A protein called system XC- which transports a neurotransmitter that excites brain cells, glutamate, is known to be expressed at higher levels around tumours than in normal brain tissue. Due to the over expression of this protein there is a dramatic increase in the levels of glutamate around the tumour. This then causes brain cells to be over-excited and aids the triggering of seizures.
  We want to study whether high glutamate levels, due to the increase in expression of this particular protein, are responsible for seizures in patients with brain tumours. We can study this using a sophisticated imaging technique called Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) and relating it to any seizure activity seen in the diseased tissue, resected by the operating surgeon. If we can demonstrate that areas of high glutamate levels in the surrounding diseased tissue are associated with seizures, this provide evidence in favour of radical resection guided by MRS in trying to reduce the seizure burden for patients. We would plan to explore this with a clinical trial. In the long term a better understanding of seizures in brain tumours will lead to newer more effective treatments.

• REC name

  West Midlands - Coventry & Warwickshire Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  17/WM/0434

• Date of REC Opinion

  1 Dec 2017

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion