Glioblastoma is one of the deadliest cancers known to man. While the advent of immunotherapy and other cutting-edge treatments have prolonged life for people afflicted with other types of cancer, the prognosis for glioblastoma has remained relatively constant: just 18 months.
That year-and-a-half can be brutal: bombarding the brain with radiation in an attempt to crush the cancer into submission, often with little success. Glioblastoma is notoriously resistant to therapy, quickly adapting and roaring back with deadly results.
The SPORE is led by Matt Lesniak, MD, chair of Neurological Surgery and the Michael J. Marchese Professor of Neurosurgery, and C. David James, PhD, professor emeritus of Neurological Surgery.
It's not an exaggeration to say that nearly every glioblastoma patient will, unfortunately, succumb to the cancer. It is, in nearly all cases, incurable."
C. David James, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Neurological Surgery
The lethality of glioblastoma and the paucity of effective treatments is what spurred Maciej Lesniak, MD, chair and Michael J. Marchese Professor of Neurosurgery, along with James, to apply for the Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant from the National Cancer Institute, to be awarded to the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer of Northwestern University. They didn't do this alone: The 2017 arrival of renowned neuro-oncologist Roger Stupp, MD, the Paul C. Bucy Professor of Neurological Surgery and chief of Neuro-Oncology in the Department of Neurology, bolstered the glioblastoma expertise at Northwestern, and his continued leadership has been a tremendous boon to the program, Lesniak said.
Northwestern's Brain Tumor SPORE part of the Lurie Cancer Center is now three years old, and the bench to bedside process is producing results. Under the leadership of Lesniak and James, the SPORE has made advances in understanding the genetic basis of the disease and developed potential therapies that reduce treatment resistance and clinical trials using immunotherapies. The SPORE philosophy of collaboration and team science under one roof is alive and well.
Since The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) published its landmark 2008 analysis of the genetics of glioblastoma, scientists such as Alexander Stegh, PhD, associate professor in the Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology Division of Neuro-Oncology, have used that roadmap to guide their research.
"The TCGA gave us this 'periodic table' of genes that are deregulated in glioblastoma," said Stegh, who is also an associate professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology.
Alexander Stegh, PhD, associate professor in the Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology Division of Neuro-Oncology, focuses on genetic deregulation that contributes to therapy resistance in glioblastoma.
While some cancers have oncogene activations that are relatively simple to single out, there's an emerging understanding that glioblastoma is caused by variants of many genes. This is why previous attempts at therapies targeting single genes failed, such as those targeting alterations of the EGFR gene, and why Stegh focuses on genetic deregulation that contributes to therapy resistance.
"Rather than going in there with the very ambitious goal of identifying multiple genes and dialing down their expression levels, we take a slightly different approach: How can we specifically downregulate genes that cause therapy resistance, as an adjuvant therapeutic approach," Stegh said.
Stegh has published several papers identifying important genes implicated in glioblastoma therapy resistance, but one gene, called Bcl2L12, was found to be especially amenable to therapeutic delivery.
Combining his genetic expertise with the nanotechnology expertise of Chad Mirkin, PhD, professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology; and the clinical trial expertise of Priya Kumthekar, MD, '08 '11 '12 GME, associate professor of Neurology in the Division of Neuro-oncology, the investigators designed a spherical nucleic acid drug that crossed the blood-brain barrier and primed tumor cells for death.
The trial, published in Science Translational Medicine, was the first of its kind to show that a nano-therapeutic crossed the blood-brain barrier and into brain tumor cells in patients.
"This unique 3D design has the ability to infiltrate tumor cells to correct the genes inside and make them susceptible for therapy-induced killing," Stegh said.
Bcl2L12 was initially identified as a treatment target by Stegh in 2007. "To go from identifying this gene during my postdoctoral work, to get to the point of actually targeting it and establishing proof-of-concept in patients, it's very gratifying," Stegh said. "We are looking forward to building on this success."
A recurrent obstacle in glioblastoma treatment is the blood-brain barrier. Efforts to develop treatments beyond simple chemotherapy are often stymied by the selective permeability of the barrier, but projects in the SPORE are using emerging technologies to break through. Beyond the project using SNA's, a group of investigators led by Lesniak used stem cell "shuttles" to deliver immunotherapy directly to the tumor site.
Neural stem cells have an affinity for the brain, often traveling to areas of injury. Taking advantage of this travel pattern, investigators modified neural stem cells to produce an oncolytic virus, which targets cancer cells and jump-starts the body's immune response.
The phase I clinical trial, published in The Lancet Oncology, found that this approach was safe and tolerable for patients, and even showed signs that the treatment may improve progression-free and overall survival.
"This is the first-in-human clinical trial to test the neural stem cell delivery of an engineered oncolytic adenovirus," Lesniak said.
Roger Stupp, MD, the Paul C. Bucy Professor of Neurological Surgery, and Priya Kumthekar, MD, '11 '12 GME, associate professor in the Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology Division of Neuro-Oncology, were co-authors of the study published in Brain. Atique Ahmed, PhD, associate professor of Neurological Surgery, was senior author.
This emphasis on results or clinical trials testing therapies is what unites all members of the Brain Tumor SPORE. Kumthekar, who has a hand in nearly all clinical trials coming out of the SPORE, chalks up their success to two things: planning and people.
"When we are testing drugs in the pre-clinical phase, we are planning the early clinical phase I. When we are in phase I, we are planning phases II and III," Kumthekar said. "We are always planning the next phase with the goal to get drugs that work to patients as fast as possible."
Further, the wealth of bright minds within the Lurie Cancer Center have made collaboration seamless and stimulating for participating faculty. From her work with Stegh and Mirkin, to pre-clinical work with Atique Ahmed, PhD, associate professor of Neurological Surgery, the greatest resource of the Brain Tumor SPORE has been its people, Kumthekar said.
One collaborative project between Kumthekar, Ahmed and Stupp, found that a drug currently used to prevent organ rejection in transplant patients could also reduce chemotherapy resistance in glioblastoma. Published in Brain, investigators found this drug blocks one molecular synthesis pathway used by cancer cells being treated with radiation therapy; when unable to create molecules essential for DNA synthesis, the cancerous cells are more likely to succumb to the therapy and die.
Back-and-forth collaboration between Kumthekar and Ahmed bringing clinical trial and laboratory expertise together is part of why this drug was selected by the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, part of the National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN). As a lead academic participating site, Lurie Cancer Center provides scientific leadership in the development and conduct of clinical research within the NCTN, and planning for the phase I trial at Northwestern is already in full swing. A potential phase III trial could be at several alliance network locations around the U.S., according to Kumthekar.
"The field is very interested in drug repurposing right now, and this helps us speed availability of drugs to patients," Kumthekar said.
The end goal of patient care is what unites all members of the SPORE from laboratory-based scientists to clinical trial experts and as these therapies march forward through the lengthy process of clinical trial evaluation, some scientists are hopeful that better treatments are just around the corner.
"Over the last ten to fifteen years, our body of knowledge about the molecular characteristics of glioblastoma has increased tremendously," James said. "As we take the information generated by dozens, if not hundreds of labs and analyze individual patient tumors to determine characteristics that can be targeted with specific therapies, I think we will begin to see more rapid progress in effective treatment of this cancer."
Lesniak, James, Stupp, Stegh, Mirkin, Kumthekar and Ahmed are members of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University and part of the Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute at the Lurie Cancer Center. Lesniak is director of neuro-oncology at the Lurie Cancer Center. Lesniak and James are principal investigators of Lurie Cancer Center's Brain Tumor SPORE.
Go here to read the rest:
- SUM Hospital conducts Odishas first stem cell transplantation - The Times of India - April 24th, 2024
- Cancer treatment: What is stem cell therapy, and how does it work? - Moneycontrol - April 24th, 2024
- The murky, unregulated world of anti-ageing stem cell therapy - The Telegraph - April 24th, 2024
- Drug Prototype Promising in Treatment of Pulmonary Disease - Medscape - April 20th, 2024
- Man Paralyzed In Surfing Accident Regains Ability to Walk After Stem Cell Treatment - The Inertia - April 20th, 2024
- Medical breakthrough: 8-year-old boy first in New York to receive FDA-approved gene therapy for rare inherited blood disorder - WABC-TV - April 20th, 2024
- Stem Cell Treatment Helped A Man Who Was Paralyzed From The Neck Down To Stand On His Own - Bored Panda - April 20th, 2024
- UM, CUHK jointly hold symposium on stem cells and regenerative medicine - gcs.gov.mo - April 20th, 2024
- Paralysed patient now able to walk as stem cell therapy shows promising results - WION - April 15th, 2024
- Andrew Steele Sees Aging as the Root of Disease - Worth - Worth Magazine - April 15th, 2024
- The astonishing effect of stem cell implants - as groundbreaking treatment 'transforms' life for those with brain damage ... - Daily Mail - April 15th, 2024
- Consumer Alert on Regenerative Medicine Products Including Stem Cells - FDA.gov - April 13th, 2024
- This Startup Wants To Be OpenAI Of Stem Cell Therapy, Targets $250B Market - Forbes - April 13th, 2024
- Brain-cell transplants are the newest experimental epilepsy treatment - MIT Technology Review - April 3rd, 2024
- Global Regenerative Medicine Market to Touch Valuation of USD 472.95 Billion by 2032, at 25.86% CAGR: Astute ... - Yahoo Finance - April 1st, 2024
- Explosive Growth Projected for Stem Cell Market, Expected to Surpass $37 Billion by 2030 As Revealed In New... - WhaTech - April 1st, 2024
- Integrating New Therapies With Autologous Stem Cell Transplant in Myeloma - Targeted Oncology - April 1st, 2024
- New tool provides researchers with improved understanding of stem cell aging in the brain - Medical Xpress - March 30th, 2024
- The ISSCR announces 2024 election results - EurekAlert - March 28th, 2024
- Exosomes and Stem Cells Are the Future of Anti-Aging - NewBeauty Magazine - March 28th, 2024
- Charles River Extends Gene Therapy Alliance with NUS Medicine - Contract Pharma - March 22nd, 2024
- Exciting opportunities in stem cell technology and regenerative biology in Indian healthcare industry - Express Healthcare - March 22nd, 2024
- Charles River Announces Extension of Gene Therapy Manufacturing Alliance with NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine - Yahoo Finance - March 22nd, 2024
- Opinion: The revolutionary sickle cell therapies - MSN - March 22nd, 2024
- 10 Years of Kansas Regenerative Medicine Center - KSAL - March 22nd, 2024
- BioCardia and StemCardia Announce Biotherapeutic Delivery Partnership - Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology - March 17th, 2024
- Cynata Therapeutics' breakthrough in regenerative medicine - Finance News Network - March 17th, 2024
- New Positive Data Presented on Briquilimab Conditioning in Patients with Fanconi Anemia - GlobeNewswire - March 17th, 2024
- Novel 3D stem cell therapy to treat critical limb ischaemia - Drug Target Review - March 15th, 2024
- Breaking Boundaries: Pharmicell's Bold Vision for Healthcare Transformation and Monumental Growth - The Worldfolio - March 15th, 2024
- CuSTOM Organoid Research Evolving From Tool to Treatment - Research Horizons - Research Horizons - March 15th, 2024
- BioCardia and StemCardia Announce Partnership to Deliver Cell-Gene Therapy for Remuscularization of Heart - Cath Lab Digest - March 15th, 2024
- Calidi Biotherapeutics and City of Hope Announce Funding from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine ... - Business Wire - March 13th, 2024
- Iron restriction keeps blood stem cells young, researchers find - Phys.org - March 13th, 2024
- Vitamin A could have a key role in both stem cell biology and wound healing: Study - Medical Dialogues - March 9th, 2024
- Trends in Stem Cell Transplantation Refusal for Myeloma Treatment - Targeted Oncology - March 7th, 2024
- Stem Cell Therapy Market (CAGR) of 31.1%, Future of Market Size Emerging Technologies and their Impact on ... - Taiwan News - March 7th, 2024
- This Swedish startup wants to reduce the cost, and controversy, around stem cell production - TechCrunch - March 6th, 2024
- Advancing stem cell therapy: The regulatory process to get to clinical trials - The Economic Times - March 6th, 2024
- Transitioning from traditional surgical methods to the innovative use of stem cells - pharmaphorum - March 6th, 2024
- 'Mini organs' are grown from human stem cells taken during the late stages of pregnancy for the first time - m - Daily Mail - March 6th, 2024
- Stem cell transplant cures man of HIV and leukemia, one of five to achieve full remission - Fox 28 - March 3rd, 2024
- Stem Cell Therapy Market to Boost USD 137.5 Billion by 2034 and Projected to grow at 32.10% CAGR with increasing ... - Yahoo Finance - March 1st, 2024
- Studies expand use of stem cell therapies - WPLG Local 10 - March 1st, 2024
- Innovative therapy targets and destroys leukemia stem cells - News-Medical.Net - February 27th, 2024
- Unlocking the Potential of Stem Cells: The Medical Revolution of the Century - EIN News - February 27th, 2024
- Pelage Pharmaceuticals Announces $16.75M Series A Financing led by GV to Revolutionize Regenerative Medicine ... - Yahoo Finance - February 27th, 2024
- Say Her Name - Henrietta Lacks, The Real Mother Of Stem - Her Campus - February 27th, 2024
- California Man Free of HIV And Cancer in Astonishing Medical Recovery - ScienceAlert - February 25th, 2024
- $93 million for research into improved health for children, young people and the aged, medical devices, mental health ... - Department of Health - February 25th, 2024
- Stem Cells in Regenerative Medicine - PMC - National Center for ... - February 24th, 2024
- The Promise and Reality of Stem Cell Therapy: What You Need to Know - Corporate Wellness Magazine - February 22nd, 2024
- Stem Cell Therapy: A Beacon of Hope for Patients with Untreatable Conditions - Corporate Wellness Magazine - February 22nd, 2024
- Leading Experts in Stem Cell Therapy: A Global Overview - Corporate Wellness Magazine - February 22nd, 2024
- Can Stem Cells Help Reverse the Effects of Aging? - Corporate Wellness Magazine - February 22nd, 2024
- Stem Cell Therapy for Cancer: Hope on the Horizon? - Corporate Wellness Magazine - February 22nd, 2024
- Stem Cells and Autism: A Closer Look at Innovative Treatments - Corporate Wellness Magazine - February 22nd, 2024
- Regrowth and Restoration: The Science Behind Stem Cell Therapy for Hair - Corporate Wellness Magazine - February 22nd, 2024
- Brain Recovery: The Role of Stem Cells in Stroke and Cerebral Palsy Treatments - Corporate Wellness Magazine - February 22nd, 2024
- Turning Back the Clock: The Science of Stem Cells in Anti-Aging - Corporate Wellness Magazine - February 22nd, 2024
- Insights into cellular therapies for cancer treatment - Drug Target Review - February 22nd, 2024
- The Role of Stem Cells in Rheumatoid Arthritis Recovery - Corporate Wellness Magazine - February 22nd, 2024
- Dr Ernesto Romeros vision transforms immunotherapy regenerative medicine into a global leader in stem cell treatment - Khaleej Times - February 22nd, 2024
- World-Renowned Doctors Leading the Way in Stem Cell Research and Treatment - Medical Tourism Magazine - February 20th, 2024
- Choosing the Best: A Guide to America's Premier Stem Cell Therapy Providers - Medical Tourism Magazine - February 20th, 2024
- Navigating Through the Possibilities of Stem Cell Treatment for Eye Disorders - Medical Tourism Magazine - February 20th, 2024
- Global Leaders in Stem Cell Therapy: Where Excellence Meets Innovation - Medical Tourism Magazine - February 20th, 2024
- Excellence in Stem Cell Treatment: How the US is Pioneering Global Healthcare Solutions - Medical Tourism Magazine - February 20th, 2024
- Clarifying Memory Loss Treatments: The Role of Stem Cells - Medical Tourism Magazine - February 20th, 2024
- Battling Inflammation: Stem Cell Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis - Medical Tourism Magazine - February 20th, 2024
- Digestive Health and Stem Cells: Treating Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease - Medical Tourism Magazine - February 20th, 2024
- Top Stem Cell Clinics in the USA: Pioneering Treatments for Chronic Conditions - Medical Tourism Magazine - February 20th, 2024
- Stem Cells and Autism: Understanding the Potential for Innovative Treatments - Medical Tourism Magazine - February 20th, 2024
- Stopping the awakening of sleeping Acute Myeloid Leukaemia stem cells to prevent disease relapse - University of Birmingham - February 20th, 2024
- City of Hope Achieves Ground Breaking Treatment for Blood Cancer and HIV - Medriva - February 18th, 2024
- Regenerative Medicine Market Size to Worth USD 95 Billion by 2032 - InvestorsObserver - February 18th, 2024
- North America Organoids Market Projected to Reach US$ 5.35 Billion by 2030, Riding on a CAGR of 21.5% - GlobeNewswire - February 18th, 2024
- Chinese team tests lung treatment that may be first to reverse COPD damage - South China Morning Post - February 15th, 2024
- Why leukemic stem cells not harmed by chemotherapy begin to grow and produce AML cells after treatment - Medical Xpress - February 15th, 2024
- Regenerative Medicine Market is Expected to Reach $49.0 Billion | MarketsandMarkets - Yahoo Finance - February 15th, 2024
Recent Comments