At the risk of repeating ourselves, we cannot stress enough how crazy our world has become and how it is heading for disaster, especially since the big slick guy took office in the Oval Office. Of course, the beauty of nature remains, but so does the thing that allows us to continue to believe in human intelligence: science. I am delighted to see the direction that cancer treatment research has recently taken.
Recent observations, notably by Michelle Monge and Frank Winkler (1-2)—who have just received the European Brain Prize—show that brain tumors, particularly glioblastomas, which are completely drug-resistant, are in fact invaded by their surroundings, with the formation of synapses between the tumor and the proximal “healthy” environment. These connections generate heightened activity that contributes to metastasis and a worsening prognosis. What’s more, these new connections are very similar to those found in an immature brain, with axons that have immature properties and chemical mediators such as GABA, which normally inhibits activity except in immature brains and glioblastomas. There is a return to immaturity in pathology. We have shown this in autism and epilepsy, and it is clearly a general phenomenon.
Even more exciting is that even solid tumors, such as those in the lungs, are invaded by neurons that aggravate the situation, as if this situation were truly widespread (3). This implies that tumor treatment cannot be solely targeted and focused on the tumors, but must also include the surrounding area and the exacerbated activities generated. In summary, this shows once again how the environment plays a major role in pathogenesis that is not restricted to tumors.
This is what we proposed in two scientific articles showing that metastases such as glioblastomas—particularly tissues obtained directly after surgical excision—have these immature properties. Treatment with a combination of two generic drugs—one that blocks hyperactivity and the other that kills cancer cells—is effective in vitro and in a compassionate trial on a patient (4-5). Clearly, here as elsewhere, real discoveries are made off the beaten track and outside the field of genetics, and even immunological approaches will reach their limits when it comes to the brain. For our part, we are actively seeking funding to conduct larger clinical trials. And it is always sad to see absurd sums of money invested in treatments solely because they are “modern” and use trendy techniques, as was recently the case with the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, based on concepts that are known to be invalid. Unfortunately, investors are often attracted by what shines rather than what is solid….
References
1. Monge et al. GABAergic neuro-to-glioma synapses in diffuse midline gliomas Nature 2025
2. Winkler et al. Innovative therapeutic strategies targeting the network architecture of glioblastoma. Clinical Cancer Research 2025
3. Cao. Neuron-tumor cross talk fuels small cell lung cancer. Trends in Pharmacological Science 2025
4. Bourgeois et al Journal of Cancer Research 2025
5. Berger et al Treating Aggressive Brain Tumors with the Combo-Mebendazole and Bumetanide: A New Cytotoxic and Anti-Invasive Strategy. Annals of Case Reports 2025
6. Bourgeois et al. Dual Targeting of Brain Tumors and Their Environment by Bumetanide and Mebendazole; Journal of Cancer Research 2025
