Abstract
High grade gliomas (HGG) are among the most aggressive brain tumors affecting both adults and children. Adult HGG (aHGG) account for almost 25% of all brain tumors in adults, with glioblastoma (GBM) being the predominant subtype. Pediatric HGG (pHGG), though less common, accounts for 3-15% of primary brain tumors in children and exhibits distinct genetic profiles compared to aHGG. Standard treatment for HGG in both adults and pediatric patients includes maximal surgical resection followed by temozolomide (TMZ)-based chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Our group previously reported that euphol, a natural compound derived from the sap of Euphorbiaceae family plants, exerts cytotoxicity effects on glioma cells. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic potential of euphol in primary cell cultures and xenograft models derived from six Brazilian HGG patients, including three adults and three pediatrics. In vitro, euphol exposure significantly reduced cell viability reduction, clonogenic capacity, and migration, while enhancing apoptosis in all six primary cultures. Additionally, euphol sensitized glioma cells to TMZ, resulting in a synergistic cytotoxic effect. In vivo, euphol reduced tumor growth in both GBM and pHGG models, and prolonged the survival of mice in the GBM orthotopic experiment. These findings highlight the promising therapeutic potential of euphol for treating high-grade gliomas in both adult and pediatric populations.