Levetiracetam May Extend Survival in Diffuse Midline Glioma by Disrupting Tumor-Neuron Connections
A new study in Nature Medicine suggests that levetiracetam, a common anti-seizure drug, may slow the growth of diffuse midline gliomas (DMG) in children by blocking specific electrical connections between tumor cells and healthy neurons. Retrospective data from four institutions showed that DMG patients taking levetiracetam had a median survival of approximately 21 months compared to 10 months for those not taking it. This benefit was not observed in patients with hemispheric high-grade gliomas. Preclinical mouse models confirmed that the drug reduces tumor proliferation in DMG but not in other glioma types, acting through a mechanism distinct from its standard anti-seizure function. Researchers are now launching clinical trials to validate these findings.