Metastatic disease to the brain results in significant morbidity because of 
edema in the central nervous system. Current anti-edema therapies are either 
expensive or result in unwanted long-term side effects. Sulfonylurea receptor 1 
(Sur1) is a transmembrane protein that, when activated in the central nervous 
system, allows for unregulated sodium influx into cells, a process that has been 
linked to cytotoxic edema formation in ischemic stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, 
spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and, most recently, brain 
metastases. In this focused review, we explore preclinical data linking Sur1 
channel formation to development of edema and reference evidence suggesting that 
the antidiabetic sulfonylurea drug glyburide (a Sur1 inhibitor) is an 
inexpensive and well-tolerated agent that can be clinically tested to reduce or 
prevent malignancy and/or treatment-associated edema.