Work

Beyond Epilepsy Control: Repurposing Antiepileptic Drugs in Central Nervous System Tumor Therapy

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are primarily indicated for controlling epileptic seizures. However, accumulating clinical evidence suggests that their benefits in patients with central nervous system (CNS) tumors extend beyond seizure management. Emerging evidence indicates that AEDs possess direct antitumor activity independent of their antiepileptic effects, highlighting a promising novel direction for CNS tumor therapy. This review elucidates the multifaceted antitumor mechanisms of classic (e.g., valproic acid and levetiracetam) and novel (e.g., cannabidiol) AEDs, including their impacts on metabolic reprogramming, epigenetic regulation, endoplasmic reticulum stress and unfolded protein response (ERS-UPR), ion homeostasis, and the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) to provide new insights and a theoretical basis for developing multitarget therapeutic strategies.

Source: Cells

DOI: 10.3390/cells15050409

Authors: Haochen Zhao, Qian Jiang, Quanji Wang, Zihan Wang, Yimin Huang, Ting Lei

Institutions: Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Language: English

Topic: Glioma Diagnosis and Treatment

Subfield: Genetics

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,258