New strategy for the treatment of aggressive brain cancer glioblastoma

Glioblastomas (GBMs) are highly aggressive brain and spinal cord tumors that are extremely challenging to tre.

background

The incurable nature of malignant GBM is mainly due to their tendency to invade the brain parenchyma extensively, making complete resection of the tumor mass difficu.

Using the cBioPortal for Cancer Genomics, the TCGA GBM patient genomic dataset was further analyzed for genetic alterations in various genes, and finally confirmed that the use of a unique immunomagnetic separation technique combined with fluorescent labeling of CD146 expression, in situ patient-derived Enrichment of CTCs in xenograft animal mode.

bifunctional mesenchymal stem cells

Given the critical and very limited timeline from diagnosis to initial surgical intervention in GBM patients, allogeneic "off-the-shelf" engineered stem cells offer a promising therapeutic strategy for targeting residual GBM after surge.

Although allogeneic MSC-based therapy holds potential for targeting various cancers, including GBM, the route of administration determines the extent to which this therapeutic approach can ultimately be exploit.

new treatment strategies

The researchers first stably detected a specific receptor called a "death receptor (DR)" on circulating tumor cells (CTCs), or cancer cells in the blo.

Notably, all mice that received the gel-encapsulated stem cells after surgery were still alive for 90 days post-treatment, compared to an average of 55 days for mice that received surgery alo.

Clinical grade engineered bifunctional MSCs express a cell surface receptor (DR) targeting ligand and a built-in safety switch (MSC Bif) for advanced preclinical efficacy, stability and safety assessmen.

Death receptor (DR) ligands have been used to selectively target various cancers, including G.

Given the critical importance of safety in clinical translation, it is imperative to improve the safety of treatmen.

"To our knowledge, this is the first study to identify target receptors on tumor cells before initiating therapy and to use a biodegradable, gel-encapsulated, 'off-the-shelf' engineered stem cell base following GBM tumor surgery treatment,” said Khalid Shah, director of the Center for Stem Cells and Translational Immunotherapy (CSTI), associate director of neurosurgery research at Brigham, and faculty member at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSC.

"In the future, we will apply this strategy to rapidly identify target receptors after a person has been diagnosed with GBM, and then use gel-encapsulated, off-the-shelf, engineered stem cells for treatme.

Many cell-based cancer treatments come from a patient's own stem cells or immune cel.

The findings of this study pave the way for a Phase I clinical trial in GBM patients undergoing brain surgery within the next two yea.