Identification of cephalomannine as a drug candidate for glioblastoma via high-throughput drug screening

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant primary tumor of the central nervous system in adults. Despite advances in GBM treatment, the prognosis of patients with GBM remains poor and novel drugs are urgently required. In this study, we aimed to identify novel drugs for GBM treatment by using a drug screening approach. To this end, we performed high-throughput screening with 118 drugs, including Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved anticancer drugs. We found high inhibition rates (more than 90%) for doxorubicin, bortezomib, and cephalomannine in 6 GBM cell lines. Furthermore, we determined the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of cephalomannine and found that the drug has a high potential for anti-GBM activity. Moreover, we noted that cephalomannine inhibited cell proliferation by inducing autophagy. Thus, our results indicate that cephalomannine may be an effective drug candidate for GBM treatment.