Predictive diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarkers obtained from routine blood biochemistry in patients with solitary intracranial tumor

BackgroundRadiological and/or laboratory tests may be sometimes inadequate distinguishing glioblastoma from metastatic brain tumors. The aim of this study was to find possible predictive biomarkers produced from routine blood biochemistry analysis results evaluated preoperatively in each patient with solitary brain tumor in distinguishing glioblastoma from metastatic brain tumors as well as revealing short-term prognosis.MethodsPatients admitted to neurosurgery clinic between January 2015 and September 2018 were included in this study and they were divided into GLIOMA (n=12) and METASTASIS (n=17) groups. Patients'' data consisted of age, gender, Glasgow Coma Scale scores, duration of stay in hospital, Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) scores and histopathological examination reports, hemoglobin level, leukocyte, neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, eosinophil, basophil and platelet count results, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-lymphocyte ratio values, C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) levels were evaluated preoperatively.ResultsThe CRP levels of METASTASIS group (143.10 mg/L) were higher than those of GLIOMA group (23.90 mg/L); and it was 82% sensitive and 75% specific in distinguishing metastatic brain tumor from glioblastoma if CRP value was >55.00 mg/L. A positive correlation was determined between GOS score and hemoglobin level and between ESR and CRP values. However, GOS scores were negatively correlated with the ESR level and duration of stay in hospital.ConclusionsStudy results demonstrated that CRP values could be predictive biomarker in distinguishing metastatic brain tumor from glioblastoma. In addition, ESR, CRP, hemoglobin levels and duration of stay in hospital could be prognostic biomarkers in predicting short-term prognosis of patients with solitary brain tumor.     

血清5-HT、Obestatin、APRIL与老年脑卒中患者神经功能的相关性及对卒中后抑郁的预测价值

摘要 目的：探讨血清5-羟色胺（5-HT）、肥胖抑制素（Obestatin）、增殖诱导配体（APRIL）与老年脑卒中患者神经功能的相关性及对卒中后抑郁（PSD）的预测价值。方法：选择2019年5月至2022年5月内蒙自治区人民医院收治的老年脑卒中患者120例为研究对象。入院时采集血样本,采用酶联免疫吸附法（ELISA）检测血清5-HT、Obestatin和APRIL水平。患者出院后随访6个月,根据是否发生PSD分为PSD组和非PSD组,比较两组血清5-HT、Obestatin、APRIL水平。采用Pearson相关分析法分析5-HT、Obestatin、APRIL与美国国立卫生研究院卒中量表（NIHSS）的相关性;采用多因素Logistic回归模型分析PSD的影响因素;采用受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线分析血清5-HT、Obestatin联合APRIL对老年脑卒中患者出院后PSD的预测价值。结果：PSD组血清5-HT低于非PSD组（P＜0.05）,血清Obestatin、APRIL和NIHSS评分高于非PSD组（P＜0.05）。血清5-HT与NIHSS评分呈负相关（P＜0.05）;血清Obestatin、APRIL与NIHSS评分呈正相关（P＜0.05）。单因素分析显示,老年脑卒中患者出院后PSD与体质量指数（BMI）、吸烟史、饮酒史有关（P＜0.05）。多因素Logistic回归分析显示,血清Obestatin、APRIL及NIHSS评分升高是脑卒中患者出院后发生PSD的危险因素（P＜0.05）,血清5-HT升高是其保护因素（P＜0.05）。ROC曲线分析结果显示,血清5-HT、Obestatin、APRIL及联合检测对预测PSD的曲线下面积（AUC）分别为0.735（0.483～0.978）、0.765（0.595～0.918）、0.707（0.464～0.954）、0.867（0.742～0.972）,联合检测的预测效能优于各指标单独检测。结论：血清5-HT水平降低、Obestatin、APRIL水平及NIHSS评分升高是老年脑卒中患者出院后发生PSD的独立危险因素,还可导致神经功能损伤,血清5-HT、Obestatin和APRIL可预测老年脑卒中患者出院后PSD,且联合预测价值更高。     

Computational Trials: Unraveling Motility Phenotypes,Progression Patterns,and Treatment Options for Glioblastoma Multiforme

Glioblastoma multiforme is a malignant brain tumor with poor prognosis and high morbidity due to its invasiveness. Hypoxia-driven motility and concentration-driven motility are two mechanisms of glioblastoma multiforme invasion in the brain. The use of anti-angiogenic drugs has uncovered new progression patterns of glioblastoma multiforme associated with significant differences in overall survival. Here, we apply a mathematical model of glioblastoma multiforme growth and invasion in humans and design computational trials using agents that target angiogenesis, tumor replication rates, or motility. The findings link highly-dispersive, moderately-dispersive, and hypoxia-driven tumors to the patterns observed in glioblastoma multiforme treated by anti-angiogenesis, consisting of progression by Expanding FLAIR, Expanding FLAIR + Necrosis, and Expanding Necrosis, respectively. Furthermore, replication rate-reducing strategies (e.g. Tumor Treating Fields) appear to be effective in highly-dispersive and moderately-dispersive tumors but not in hypoxia-driven tumors. The latter may respond to motility-reducing agents. In a population computational trial, with all three phenotypes, a correlation was observed between the efficacy of the rate-reducing agent and the prolongation of overall survival times. This research highlights the potential applications of computational trials and supports new hypotheses on glioblastoma multiforme phenotypes and treatment options.     

Matrix metalloproteinases MMP-3 and MMP-1 levels in sera and synovial fluids in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether serum levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-3, stromelysin) and (MMP-1, collagenase) are specifically elevated in joint disease as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to osteoarthritis (OA), and to assess how these markers reflect the clinical activity of RA compared to circulating cytokine as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) as well as established variables as [C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)]. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study included 22 patients with RA, 10 patients with OA and 10 healthy control subjects matched for age and sex. Patients with superimposed infection were excluded. Serum levels of MMP-3, MMP-1, TNF-alpha and CRP were assayed. Synovial fluid (SF) levels of MMP-3 and MMP-1 were also assayed. RESULTS: Serum levels of TNF-alpha and CRP in RA patients were significantly higher than normal subjects. Serum MMP-1 was significantly elevated in patients with RA and OA, compared to healthy controls but there were no significant differences between patients with RA and those with OA. Serum MMP-3 levels did not differ between OA patients and normal sera. However, RA patients displayed significantly elevated levels of this enzyme, compared to OA and control sera. Levels of MMP-3 and MMP-1 in the SF of RA patients were significantly higher than in OA fluids. CRP, ESR, TNF-alpha and MMP-3 correlated significantly with the swollen joint count. The strongest positive correlations existed between rheumatoid activity as assessed by the levels of CRP and circulating levels of MMP-3. Similar correlations between TNF-alpha concentration and CRP, MMP-1 and MMP-3 were observed in RA patients. Serum levels of MMP-3 correlated significantly with serum concentrations of MMP-1 in RA patients (r = 0.487, p < 0.05). There was close correlation between serum and SF concentrations of MMP-3 in RA patients (r = 0.619, p < 0.01). In the same patients there was highly significant correlation between SF concentrations of MMP-3 and MMP-1 (r = 0.732, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggested that elevated MMP-3 levels reflected disease activity of RA better than cytokine levels. However, MMP-3 levels do not exceed the association of CRP with clinical activity.     

Image-driven modeling of the proliferation and necrosis of glioblastoma multiforme

Background

The heterogeneity of response to treatment in patients with glioblastoma multiforme suggests that the optimal therapeutic approach incorporates an individualized assessment of expected lesion progression. In this work, we develop a novel computational model for the proliferation and necrosis of glioblastoma multiforme.

Methods

The model parameters are selected based on the magnetic resonance imaging features of each tumor, and the proposed technique accounts for intrinsic cell division, tumor cell migration along white matter tracts, as well as central tumor necrosis. As a validation of this approach, tumor growth is simulated in the brain of a healthy adult volunteer using parameters derived from the imaging of a patient with glioblastoma multiforme. A mutual information metric is calculated between the simulated tumor profile and observed tumor.

Results

The tumor progression profile generated by the proposed model is compared with those produced by existing models and with the actual observed tumor progression. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses show that the model introduced in this work replicates the observed progression of glioblastoma more accurately relative to prior techniques.

Conclusions

This image-driven model generates improved tumor progression profiles and may contribute to the development of more reliable prognostic estimates in patients with glioblastoma multiforme.

     

Serum BAFF and APRIL levels in patients with IgG4-related disease and their clinical significance

Introduction

B cell-activating factor of the tumor necrosis factor family (BAFF) and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) play a crucial role in B cell development, survival, and antibody production. Here we analyzed the serum levels of BAFF and APRIL and their respective clinical associations in patients with an immunoglobulin (Ig) G4-related disease (IgG4-RD).

Methods

We measured serum levels of BAFF and APRIL in patients with IgG4-RD, primary Sjögren''s syndrome (pSS), and healthy individuals. Serum BAFF and APRIL levels in IgG4-RD were assessed for correlations with serological parameters, including Ig, particularly IgG4, and the number of affected organs. Serum BAFF and APRIL levels in IgG4-RD were monitored during glucocorticoid (GC) therapy.

Results

Serum BAFF and APRIL levels in patients with IgG4-RD were significantly higher (P < 0.01) than in healthy individuals. The BAFF levels of patients with IgG4-RD were comparable to those of patients with pSS. Although clinical parameters, such as serum IgG4 and the number of affected organs, were not correlated with the levels of BAFF, serum APRIL levels were inversely correlated with serum IgG4 levels (r = -0.626, P < 0.05). While serum BAFF levels decreased following GC therapy, serum APRIL levels increased during follow-up.

Conclusion

These results indicate that BAFF and APRIL might be useful markers for predicting disease activity in IgG4-RD. Further studies are needed to elucidate the role of BAFF and APRIL in the pathogenesis of IgG4-RD.     

Decreased Circulating Levels of APRIL: Questioning Its Role in Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that affects over 382 million people worldwide. Type-1 Diabetes (T1D) is classified as an autoimmune disease that results from pancreatic β-cell destruction and insulin deficiency. Type-2 Diabetes (T2D) is characterized principally by insulin resistance in target tissues followed by decreased insulin production due to β-cell failure. It is challenging to identify immunological markers such as inflammatory molecules that are triggered in response to changes during the pathogenesis of diabetes. APRIL is an important member of the TNF family and has been linked to chronic inflammatory processes of various diseases since its discovery in 1998. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate APRIL serum levels in T1D and T2D. For this, we used the ELISA assay to measure serum APRIL levels of 33 T1D and 30 T2D patients, and non-diabetic subjects as control group. Our data showed a decrease in serum APRIL levels in T1D patients when compared with healthy individuals. The same pattern was observed in the group of T2D patients when compared with the control. The decrease of serum APRIL levels in diabetic patients suggests that this cytokine has a role in T1D and T2D. Diabetes is already considered as an inflammatory condition with different cytokines being implicated in its physiopathology. Our data suggest that APRIL can be considered as a potential modulating cytokine in the inflammatory process of diabetes.     

Serum E-selectin and erythrocyte membrane Na+K+ ATPase levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

We conducted this study to assess serum soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin) levels and erythrocyte membrane Na(+)K(+) ATPase activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and correlate the levels with disease activity. Levels of sE-selectin were measured in the serum of 20 patients with RA and 20 control subjects by an enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay. Na(+)K(+) ATPase activity was determined by a colorimetric method in RA patients and healthy controls. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups with respect to demographic data such as age and sex (p > 0.05). The serum levels of sE-selectin, ESR and C-reactive protein (CRP) in RA patients were significantly higher than in healthy controls (p < 0.001). Erythrocyte membrane Na(+)K(+) ATPase activity was significantly lower in the RA group than in the control group (p < 0.001). Correlation analysis revealed significant positive correlations between soluble E-selectin and ESR (r = 0.457; p < 0.05) and CRP (r = 0.682; p < 0.01) levels. There were statistically significant negative correlations between erythrocyte membrane Na(+)K(+) ATPase activity and ESR (r = -0.450; p < 0.05) and CRP (r = -0.446; p < 0.05) levels. Additionally, a significant negative correlations between sE-selectin and Na(+)K(+) ATPase activity was observed (r = -0.80; p < 0.001). These results show that decreases in erythrocyte membrane Na(+)K(+) ATPase activity and increases in sE-selectin are observed in RA, and that increased levels of sE-selectin may also reflect disease status or activity.     

PROTEIN SYNTHESIS IN VITRO IN NUCLEI OF HUMAN NERVOUS TISSUE

Abstract—

• 1 In vitro incorporation of tritiated leucine into nuclear proteins of normal human brain, astrocytoma I and II and glioblastoma multiforme was investigated. The distribution of radioactivity among various protein fractions of nuclei was determined.
• 2 The results demonstrate that the isolated nuclei of astrocytoma I and II incorporate radioactivity into proteins at least 40 times more actively than nuclei of normal human brain or glioblastoma multiforme.
• 3 The residual protein fraction was the most highly labelled fraction among the nuclear pioteins. This fraction from astrocytomas incorporates relatively more radioactivity than the similar fraction of normal human brain or glioblastoma multiforme. The buffered-saline soluble protein fraction of astrocytoma nuclei contained a relatively lower amount of radioactivity than the similar fraction of normal human brain or glioblastoma multiforme. The total radioactivity incorporated into the deoxyribonucleoproteins seemed to increase with the malignancy of the tissue investigated. The significance of the results with respect to malignant transformation is discussed.

     

1H NMR Ganglioside Ceramide Resonance Region on the Differential Diagnosis of Low and High Malignancy of Brain Gliomas

1. The high-resolution ¹H NMR (MRS) spectra of human brain tumor homogenates revealed a broad resonance at 5.3–5.4 ppm in glioblastoma multiforme (N = 16) and brain metastases (N = 2). The broad resonance was identified as ceramide, a sphingosine–fatty acid combination portion of ganglioside, indicating an elevated abundance of monounsaturated fatty acids. GLC analysis of gangliosides in the highly malignant glioblastoma multiforme revealed that the elevated monounsaturated fatty acid is oleic acid (C18:1). The resonance at 5.3–5.4 ppm region was not detectable in normal human brain (N = 2), in meningiomas (N = 2), or in low-grade astrocytomas (N = 12). In normal human brain the abundance of monounsaturated fatty acid is minimal.2. This investigation was made possible because the method of producing homogenate resulted in (i) no loss of lipids during the process and (ii) a well-homogenised sample, with (iii) no loss in chemical integrity.3. The properties of tumor gangliosides include antigenic specificity and immunosuppresive activity and the ceramide, a sphingosine–fatty acid combination, noticeably influences the ganglioside immunosuppressive activity.4. The observation of ¹H NMR ceramide resonance in high-malignant brain tumors emphasizes the dramatic role of aberrant gangliosides and ceramide precursors on the grade of malignancy and invasiveness.5. Further insight into the specific nature of the ceramide portion of gangliosides in grading the malignancy of brain tumors should be investigated further.     

Pharmacokinetic Analysis of 111In-Labeled Liposomal Doxorubicin in Murine Glioblastoma after Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption by Focused Ultrasound

The goal of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of targeted and untargeted ¹¹¹In-doxorubicin liposomes after these have been intravenously administrated to tumor-bearing mice in the presence of blood-brain barrier disruption (BBB-D) induced by focused ultrasound (FUS). An intracranial brain tumor model in NOD-scid mice using human brain glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) 8401 cells was developed in this study. ¹¹¹In-labeled human atherosclerotic plaque-specific peptide-1 (AP-1)-conjugated liposomes containing doxorubicin (Lipo-Dox; AP-1 Lipo-Dox) were used as a microSPECT probe for radioactivity measurements in the GBM-bearing mice. Compared to the control tumors treated with an injection of ¹¹¹In-AP-1 Lipo-Dox or ¹¹¹In-Lipo-Dox, the animals receiving the drugs followed by FUS exhibited enhanced accumulation of the drug in the brain tumors (p<0.05). Combining sonication with drugs significantly increased the tumor-to-normal brain doxorubicin ratio of the target tumors compared to the control tumors. The tumor-to-normal brain ratio was highest after the injection of ¹¹¹In-AP-1 Lipo-Dox with sonication. The ¹¹¹In-liposomes micro-SPECT/CT should be able to provide important information about the optimum therapeutic window for the chemotherapy of brain tumors using sonication.     

妊娠糖尿病患者血清HbA1c与CRP水平的相关性分析

目的:为明确妊娠期糖尿病(gestational diabetes mellitus,GDM)患者血清糖化血红蛋白(glycosylated hemoglobin,Hb A1c)与C反应蛋白(C-reactive protein,CRP)的关系,本研究检测了GDM患者血糖、血清Hb A1c与CRP水平,并对Hb A1c与CRP的相关性进行了分析。方法:以68例2015年4月至2017年4月于我院诊治的GDM孕妇为研究对象,所有患者均符合《妇产科学》中关于GDM的诊断标准,另选取68例正常孕妇为对照组。采用葡萄糖氧化酶法检测血糖水平(空腹血糖及餐后2 h血糖水平),采用免疫凝集法检测和比较两组血清糖化血红蛋白(HbA1c)水平,采用免疫透射比浊法检测血清C反应蛋白(CRP)水平,并分析HbA1c与CRP的相关性。结果:GDM组患者空腹血糖(fasting plasma glucose,FPG)、2 h血糖(plasma glucose,PG)、血清HbA1c和CRP水平均显著高于正常组(P0.05),GDM患者血清Hb A1c和CRP水平呈显著正相关关系(r=0.654,P0.05)。结论:GDM患者血清HbAlC和CRP水平相较于正常孕妇有显著提高,且二者呈显著的正相关关系,二者联合检测可能作为GDM早期诊断的筛查的重要参考指标。     

Regulation of autophagy as a therapeutic option in glioblastoma

Apoptosis - Around three out of one hundred thousand people are diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, simply called glioblastoma, which is the most common primary brain tumor in adults. With a...     

Alterations of serum trace elements and other biochemical parameters are correlated with the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus: A preliminary study on Bangladeshi population

BackgroundSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder in which the body's defense system wrongly attacks healthy body tissues. The objective of this current setup was to quantify and compare the serum concentration of ascorbic acid (Vit-C), malondialdehyde (MDA), c-reactive protein (CRP) and trace elements (Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn) in SLE and normal subjects.MethodsThe proposed case-control study was performed with 25 SLE patients and 25 healthy subjects as case and control, respectively. The serum level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and vitamin C was evaluated by UV spectrophotometric method. For the determination of CRP, the latex agglutination method was used, whereas serum trace elements were estimated by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS).ResultsThis analysis demonstrated that patients with SLE possessed a significant (p < 0.001) higher level of MDA and lower level of vitamin C compared to control subjects. Pearson’s correlation analysis found negative correlation between the serum level of MDA and vitamin C (r= -0.023, p = 0.887) for patients while control group also possessed similar result (r= -0.157, p = 0.453). The current findings have also revealed that serum level of Zn and Cu in SLE patients was significantly (p < 0.05) lowered to that of the control group, while serum level of Mn also showed a similar scenario. During Pearson’s correlation analysis a significantly (p < 0.05) negative correlation was found between Zn and Mn (r= -0.410, p = 0.042) in patients’ group.ConclusionAlthough our study was limited to a small sample size and confined to a particular area of the country, the study results support a significant role of antioxidants, CRP, and trace elements in the generation of SLE and, therefore, recommends a large spectrum study of the associations between SLE and these biochemical parameters.     

中药通窍活血汤联合脑蛋白水解物对老年痴呆患者日常生活能力和血清Hcy、CRP、FA水平的影响

目的:探讨中药通窍活血汤联合脑蛋白水解物对老年痴呆日常生活能力和血清同型半胱氨酸(Hcy)、C反应蛋白(CRP)、叶酸(FA)水平的影响。方法:选择2014年1月～2016年12月在我院脑病科神经内科进行诊治的79例老年痴呆患者,随机分为对照组40例和观察组39例。对照组静脉滴注脑蛋白水解物治疗,每次60 mg,每天2次;观察组联合口服中药通窍活血汤治疗,每天服用1剂,早晚分2次温服,每次200 mL。分别于治疗前后采用简易精神状态检查量表(MMSE)对患者的精神状态进行评估,比较两组的临床治疗有效率,治疗前后的日常生活能力情况以及血清Hcy、CRP、FA水平的变化,比较两组在治疗期间不良反应的发生情况。结果:观察组的有效率为92.31%(36/39),明显高于对照组的72.50%(29/40)(P0.05)。两组治疗后的日常生活能力BI、MMSE评分、血清FA水平均较治疗前明显升高(P0.05),且观察组明显高于对照组(P0.05)。两组治疗后的血清Hcy、CRP水平均较治疗前明显降低(P0.05),且观察组明显低于对照组(P0.05)。两组不良反应的发生情况间比较无显著差异(P0.05)。结论:中药通窍活血汤联合脑蛋白水解物对老年痴呆患者具有较为显著的临床效果,安全可靠,可提高其日常生活能力,改善精神状态以及血清Hcy、CRP、FA水平。     

血清CEA、CA19-9联合CRP在消化道恶性肿瘤的诊断价值分析

摘要 目的：探讨与分析血清CEA、CA19-9联合CRP在消化道恶性肿瘤的诊断价值。方法：2019年8月到2022年5月选择在本院诊治的消化道恶性肿瘤患者150例作为消化道恶性肿瘤组,同期选择在本院体检的健康人群150例作为健康组。采集两组人群的血清癌胚抗原（CEA）、糖类抗原19-9（CA19-9）、C-反应蛋白（CRP）含量,调查患者的病理特征并判断诊断价值。结果：消化道恶性肿瘤组的血清CEA、CA19-9、CRP含量都高于健康组（P<0.05）。消化道恶性肿瘤组的CEA、CA19-9、CRP阳性率为54.7 %、58.7 %、60.7 %,高于健康组的3.3 %、4.0 %、4.7 %（P<0.05）。在消化道恶性肿瘤组中,不同组织学分化、临床分期、淋巴结转移患者的血清CEA、CA19-9、CRP含量对比有差异（P<0.05）。血清CEA、CA19-9联合CRP诊断为阳性113例,在健康组中诊断为阳性3例,血清CEA、CA19-9联合CRP在消化道恶性肿瘤的诊断敏感性与特异性分别为75.3 %（113/150）和98.0 %（147/150）。结论：消化道恶性肿瘤患者多伴随有血清CEA、CA19-9、CRP的高表达,病理特征与血清CEA、CA19-9、CRP含量存在相关性,血清CEA、CA19-9联合CRP在消化道恶性肿瘤的诊断敏感性与特异性都比较好。     

miR-145 is a potential biomarker for predicting clinical outcome in glioblastomas

miR-145 has been found to be significantly downregulated in gliomas, and overexpression of miR-145 increases glioma cell apoptosis and enhances chemosensitivity or herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene therapy. However, the correlation between miR-145 and the clinical prognosis of glioblastomas has never been explored. In this study, a retrospective study was conducted in 86 cases of patients with glioblastoma after neurosurgery combined with chemoradiotherapy, and 36 cases with traumatic brain injury. Our results showed that miR-145 was significantly lower in glioblastoma tissues than that in normal brain tissue (P < 0.05). Furthermore, miR-145 was lower in patients with lower Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) scores than in patients with higher KPS scores ( P < 0.05). Cox Regression analysis showed that low miR-145 expression was associated with poor patient survival ( P < 0.05). These data suggested that patients with glioblastoma with lower miR-145 expression are prone to shorter overall survival.     

Pro-necrotic Activity of Cationic Mastoparan Peptides in Human Glioblastoma Multiforme Cells Via Membranolytic Action

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common and lethal malignant brain tumor. Because of its complexity and heterogeneity, this tumor has become resistant to conventional therapies and the available treatment produces multiple side effects. Here, using multiple experimental approaches, we demonstrate that three mastoparan peptides—Polybia-MP1, Mastoparan X, and HR1—from solitary wasp venom exhibit potent anticancer activity toward human glioblastoma multiforme cells. Importantly, the antiglioblastoma action of mastoparan peptides occurs by membranolytic activity, leading to necrosis. Our data also suggest a direct relation between mastoparan membranolytic potency and the presence of negatively charged phospholipids like phosphatidylserine. Collectively, these data may warrant additional studies for mastoparan peptides as new agents for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme brain tumor.