Gossypol in Treating Patients With Progressive or Recurrent Glioblastoma Multiforme

Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients must have histologically confirmed supratentorial glioblastoma multiforme which is progressive or recurrent after radiation therapy ± chemotherapy; patients with previously low grade glioma who progressed after radiotherapy ± chemotherapy and are biopsied and found to have glioblastoma multiforme are eligible
* Patients must have tumor tissue form completed and signed by a pathologist
* Patients must have measurable contrast enhancing progressive or recurrent glioblastoma multiforme by MRI or CT imaging (Within 14 days before starting treatment)
* Patients must have recovered from toxicity of prior therapy; an interval of at least 3 months must have elapsed since the completion of the most recent course of radiation therapy, while at least 3 weeks must have elapsed since the completion of a non-nitrosourea containing chemotherapy regimen, and at least 6 weeks since the completion of a nitrosourea containing chemotherapy regimen; NOTE: For non-cytotoxic, FDA approved agents (i.e. celebrex, thalidomide, etc.) therapy could be started 2 weeks after discontinuing this agent provided the patient has fully recovered from all toxicity associated with the agent; for investigational, non-cytotoxic agents a minimum of 3 weeks must have elapsed before the patient will be eligible for this study
* Patients must have a Karnofsky performance status \>= 60% (i.e. the patient must be able to care for himself/herself with occasional help from others)
* Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1500/mm\^3
* Platelets \>= 100,000/mm\^3
* Creatinine =\< 1.5mg/dl
* Total Bilirubin =\< 1.5mg/dl
* Transaminases =\< 2.5 times above the upper limits of the institutional norm
* Patients must be able to provide written informed consent
* Women of childbearing potential must have a negative serum pregnancy test; the effects of AT-101 on the developing human fetus at the recommended therapeutic dose are unknown; for this reason and because Bcl-2 inhibitors have the potential to be teratogenic, women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation, and for at least one month following the last dose of AT-101; should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately
* Patients must have a Mini Mental State Exam score \>= 15

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients with serious concurrent infection or medical illness which would jeopardize the ability of the patient to receive the treatment outlined in this protocol with reasonable safety; (Examples of medical illnesses are \[but not limited to\] the following: uncontrolled hypertension, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situation that would limit compliance with study requirements)
* Patients who are pregnant or breast-feeding
* Patients who have received more than two prior treatments
* Patients who have been previously treated with gossypol, or have allergies to gossypol
* Patients receiving concurrent therapy for their tumor (i.e. chemotherapeutics or investigational agents); concurrent steroid use is allowed
* Patients with a concurrent malignancy are ineligible unless they are patients with curatively treated carcinoma-in-situ or basal cell carcinoma of the skin; patients with a prior malignancy are ineligible unless they have been free of disease for \>= five years
* Patients with ≥ Grade 2 sensory neuropathy based on the NCI CTCAE
* Patients who are taking iron supplements
* Patients with any condition (e.g., gastrointestinal tract disease resulting in an inability to take oral medication or a requirement for IV alimentation, prior surgical procedures affecting absorption, or active peptic ulcer disease) that impairs their ability to swallow pills are excluded
* Patients cannot be receiving cytochrome P450-inducing anticonvulsants (EIAEDs; e.g., phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, primidone, oxcarbazepine)
* Patients with malabsorption syndrome, disease significantly affecting gastrointestinal function, or resection of the stomach or small bowel are excluded; subjects with ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, or a partial or complete small bowel obstruction are also excluded
* Eligibility of patients receiving any other medications or substances known to affect or with the potential to affect the activity or pharmacokinetics of AT-101 will be determined following review of their case by the Principal Investigator
* Patients with symptomatic hypercalcemia that is \> Grade 2 (according to CTCAE)
* Requirement for routine use of hematopoietic growth factors (including granulocyte colony stimulating factor, granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor, or interleukin-11) or platelet transfusions to maintain absolute neutrophil counts or platelets counts above the required thresholds for study entry
* HIV-positive patients on combination antiretroviral therapy are ineligible because of the potential for pharmacokinetic interactions with AT-101; in addition, these patients are at increased risk of lethal infections when treated with marrow-suppressive therapy; appropriate studies will be undertaken in patients receiving combination antiretroviral therapy when indicated