A research team led by Prof. Fabio Mammano (University of Padova and CNR) has developed a novel antibody-based therapy that shows powerful effects against glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer in adults. The therapy not only slows tumor growth but also suppresses abnormal brain activity often associated with seizures in glioma patients. The findings have just been accepted for publication in  «Cell Communication and Signaling». 
Glioblastoma is notoriously resistant to treatment, and most patients survive less than 15 months after diagnosis. In this new study, researchers targeted a specific class of molecular channels known as connexin hemichannels, which are abnormally active in glioma cells and their surrounding environment. These channels release pro-tumor signals such as ATP and glutamate, which promote both tumor invasion and neuronal
hyperexcitability.
The team tested a monoclonal antibody called abEC1.1, which selectively blocks hemichannels formed by connexins Cx26, Cx30, and Cx32. Using patient-derived glioma cells and a clinically relevant mouse model, the researchers showed that abEC1.1:
- Reduces tumor cell migration and invasiveness
- Suppresses the release of ATP and glutamate from tumor cells
- Significantly shrinks tumor size and prolongs survival in mice
- Normalizes tumor-induced neuronal hyperexcitability, a key driver of glioma- associated seizures
“This is the first time an antibody therapy has been shown to simultaneously control glioblastoma growth and dampen tumor-induced brain overactivity,” said Prof. Mammano.
“It opens the door to a new therapeutic strategy that targets not only the cancer cells themselves but also their harmful interactions with the surrounding brain tissue.”
The antibody was delivered both as a purified protein and via gene therapy using adeno- associated viral vectors — a method that could enable long-lasting therapeutic effects with
a single treatment. The study highlights the therapeutic potential of hemichannel inhibition and lays the foundation for future clinical development.
The research was conducted in collaboration with institutions in Milan, Shanghai, and Suzhou, and supported by the Italian Ministry of Research and University, Fondazione
Cariparo, Fondazione Giovanni Celeghin, and the Umberto Veronesi Foundation.