Noscapine is a Non-addictive Opioid and Microtubule-Inhibitor in Potential Treatment of Glioblastoma.

Noscapine is a phthalide isoquinoline alkaloid that easily traverses the blood brain barrier and has been used for years as an antitussive agent with high safety.?Despite binding opioid receptors, noscapine lacks significant hypnotic and euphoric effects rendering it safe in terms of addictive potential.?Noscapine also inhibits tumor growth and enhances cancer chemosensitivity via selective blockage of NF-κB, an important transcription factor in glioblastoma pathogenesis.?Due to their anticancer activities and high penetration through the blood-brain barrier, noscapine analogues strongly deserve further study in various animal models of glioblastoma as potential candidates for future patient therapy[1].