RATIONALE: COL-3 may stop the growth of brain tumors by stopping blood flow to the tumor.

PURPOSE: Phase I/II trial to study the effectiveness of COL-3 in treating patients who have progressive or recurrent brain tumors following radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVES:

• Determine the maximum tolerated dose, dose limiting toxicity, and safety profile of oral COL-3 alone or when combined with anticonvulsants known to be metabolized by CYP450 in patients with progressive or recurrent high grade anaplastic astrocytoma, anaplastic oligodendroglioma, or glioblastoma multiforme.
• Define the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of COL-3 on this schedule and determine the effects of hepatic enzyme inducing drugs, such as anticonvulsants, on the pharmacokinetics.
• Determine the response rate, disease free survival, and survival in patients treated with this regimen.

OUTLINE: This is a dose-escalation, multicenter study of COL-3. Patients are stratified by anticonvulsant (anticonvulsants that cause induction of CYP450 vs anticonvulsants that cause modest or no induction of CYP450 or no anticonvulsant).

• Phase I: Patients receive oral COL-3 daily. Treatment repeats every 4 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Cohorts of 3-6 patients receive escalating doses of COL-3 until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which 2 of 6 patients experience dose limiting toxicity.

• Phase II: Patients receive oral COL-3 daily at the MTD from the phase I portion of this study.

Patients are followed every 2 months until death.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 15-18 patients will be accrued for phase I of the study and a total of 35 patients will be accrued for phase II of the study at a rate of 3 patients per month.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically proven high grade glioma that is progressive or recurrent following radiotherapy or chemotherapy

  • Anaplastic astrocytoma
  • Anaplastic oligodendroglioma
  • Glioblastoma multiforme

• Prior low grade glioma that has progressed to high grade glioma following radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy allowed

• Measurable disease by MRI or CT scan

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• Karnofsky 60-100%

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin normal
• SGOT or SGPT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL OR
• Creatinine clearance greater than 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

• No myocardial infarction, stroke, or congestive heart failure within the past 3 months

Other:

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 1 month after study
• No serious active infection or medical illness that would preclude compliance
• HIV negative
• No history of gastrointestinal disorders that would interfere with absorption of study drug
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except curatively treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix or breast, or basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer
• No hypersensitivity to tetracyclines or its derivatives

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• No concurrent filgrastim (G-CSF)

Chemotherapy:

• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks since prior nitrosoureas) and recovered
• No more than 2 prior chemotherapy regimens

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• No prior large field radiotherapy (greater than 20% of total bone marrow)
• At least 3 months since other prior radiotherapy and recovered

Surgery:

• No prior major upper gastrointestinal surgery
• At least 14 days since other prior major surgery

Other:

• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No prolonged sun exposure