MRI Scan of Glioblastoma multiforme.
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most medically challenging brain tumors, and can be fatal within one year.¹ Approximately 18,000 patients are diagnosed with GBM in the U.S., annually.² The current standard of treatment—maximal resection, followed by radiation with concurrent and adjuvant temozolomide chemotherapy has shown only modest improvement, with a median survival of 14.6 months, and a two-year survival rate of 26.5 percent.¹ “We need new avenues to improve survival rates,” says Assistant Professor of Neuro-Oncology Dawit Aregawi, M.D. He explains that Penn State Hershey Medical Center is conducting trials in immunologically-mediated therapy among the 90 percent of patients who experience tumor recurrences.³
While past GBM research has focused on chemotherapy, scientists have switched their focus to therapy utilizing the body’s own immune system to create tumor-fighting vaccines. Two upcoming phase 1 trials at Penn State Hershey, ICT-121 and WT2725, target cancer stem cells traditionally resistant to any form of treatment. Continue reading
