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A decades-old blood pressure medication, hydralazine, has revealed a surprising molecular action that could reshape treatments for pregnancy-related hypertension and even some brain cancers. Researchers say this discovery opens the door to safer, more targeted therapies and faster drug development by repurposing a well-known compound.
How an established drug exposed a hidden mechanism
Scientists investigating why hydralazine helps treat preeclampsia — a dangerous rise in blood pressure during pregnancy — discovered a previously unknown molecular pathway the drug affects. By mapping hydralazine's biochemical interactions, researchers can now explain its clinical benefits and begin designing variants that preserve efficacy while reducing side effects.
As chemist Megan Matthews of the University of Pennsylvania explains, understanding hydralazine at the molecular level provides a roadmap for creating safer, more selective treatments for pregnancy-related hypertension. This mechanistic insight also gives drug developers a head start: hydralazine is already approved and widely used, so derivatives or improved formulations could reach patients faster than wholly new compounds.
Why this matters for glioblastoma and targeted therapies
Beyond obstetrics, the new findings point to vulnerabilities in glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor. The research suggests that hydralazine interferes with cellular pathways glioblastoma cells rely on to survive. If scientists can tune the drug to selectively disable those defenses, the result could be an effective complement to existing cancer treatments.
Balancing potency and safety
Drug repurposing carries an advantage: known safety profiles. But to treat brain cancer or pregnancy complications, researchers emphasize the need to balance hitting specific cellular targets while avoiding harm to healthy tissues. That will likely require medicinal chemistry to create more selective hydralazine analogs and careful clinical testing.
What’s next for patients and researchers?
The team published the work in Science Advances. Next steps include refining the compound’s selectivity, preclinical tests focused on glioblastoma models, and trials aimed at improving outcomes for women with preeclampsia. Imagine a future where an old cardiovascular drug, reengineered with modern molecular insight, helps both expectant mothers and patients with brain tumors — an efficient shortcut from bench to bedside.
It's rare for a classic hypertension medicine to illuminate new neuro-oncology strategies, says Matthews, and researchers hope this is the start of more cross-disciplinary breakthroughs that translate into real-world treatments.
Source: sciencealert
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