Table 1 The main effect and side effects of anti-glioma agents

FDA-approved anti-glioma agents

 Temodar (temozolomide)

Inducing genomic DNA alkylation at the N⁷ and O⁶ positions of guanine and the N³ position of adenine, leading to nucleotide mismatch

Nausea, vomiting, fatigue, constipation, headache, anorexia and diarrhea (Scaringi et al. 2013)

 Bevacizumab (Avastin)

Suppress the generation of blood vessels in tumor tissues by antagonizing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)

Risk of bleeding, Gastrointestinal perforation, hypertension, Neutropenia (Iyer and Albini 2021; Harvey et al. 2015)

Nitrosourea

 Fotemustine;

Lomustine (CCNU);

Carmustine (BCNU);

Nimustine (ACNU)

Alkylate DNA

Myelosuppression, leucopenia and thrombocytopenia (Beauchesne 2012)

Natural anti-glioma agents

 Medicinal cannabis or Cannabinoids

Inhibition of proliferation of tumor cells, gliomagenesis and impairment of angiogenesis (Amin and Ali 2019)

Respiratory and cardiovascular disorders, cognitive alterations, psychosis, schizophrenia, and mood disorders (Cohen et al. 2019)

 Neurostatin

Inhibition astrocytoma

and astroblast division by suppressing the expression of cell cycle promoters including CDKs and cyclins (Valle-Argos et al. 2010)

/

Tyrosine kinase inhibitor

 Gefitinib

Selective inhibitor epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)

Mild to moderate rash, dry skin and diarrhea (Rawluk and Waller 2018)

 Erlotinib

Selective inhibitor epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)

Diarrhea, rash epidermal growth factor receptor expression and mutation status (Tang et al. 2006)

Other anti-glioma agents

 Cisplatin

Interferes with DNA replication by DNA platination (Dilruba and Kalayda 2016)

Kidney problems, allergic reactions, decrease immunity, gastrointestinal disorders, hemorrhage, and hearing loss (Dasari and Tchounwou 2014)

 Carboplatin

Binds and cross-links

DNA, causing noncell-cycle-dependent tumor cell lysis (Fox 2000)

Hair loss, low blood cell counts, nephrotoxicity, peripheral neuropathy, vomiting, and muscle pain (Bisch et al. 2018)