Preclinical Data Show Tumor Treating Fields Induces Immunogenic Cell Death Resulting in Enhanced Antitumor Efficacy When Combined with Anti-PD-1 Therapy
This was in animals so we do not know if it will work in people but it makes a lot of sense. The anti-PD-1 therapy (also known as checkpoint inhibitors) work to release the brakes on the immune response. So if your body reacts a little to the tumor, these checkpoint inhibitors build up on that and helps your immune system work stronger. Given by themselves, there is a small chance of checkpoint inhibitors working on the brain tumor because most people do not mount a big immune response to their tumor. What is needed is a way to prime the immune system, so your body mounts an attack, then the checkpoint inhibitors can enhance the immune attack.
One way to do that is to break apart the tumor cells, which exposes parts of the tumor (neo-antigens) that the immune system usually doesn't see. This sets the immune response in motion. Optune has been shown to break apart tumor cells, so it might be the perfect complement to checkpoint inhibitors. We can look for hints at how well it works by having all people who try the combination be monitored in our registry. Go to virtualtrials.com/ask to join our registry.
An innovative drug trial for brain cancer begins at UAB This is an exciting new therapy. This trial needs you to sign up before the first surgery, so if you live in the Birmingham, Alabama area and were recently diagnosed with a brain tumor, it may be worth asking about this trial. UAB has become a leader in the brain tumor world - so it is an excellent place to be treated.
