Latest News

• Upcoming webinar!        

  Our next webinar is coming up on Monday, November 10, 2025 at 1pm ET. The topic is "Molecular Work-Up and Therapeutic Targeting of H3K27M-Diffuse Midline Glioma" with Dr. Carl Koschmann. To join, visit virtualtrials.org/webinar.  

  
  
• Glioma Leptomeningeal Disease: Cytarabine Under Investigation        

  Researchers at CoSyne Therapeutics have discovered that glioma cells with non-mutant (wild-type) TP53 AND RB1 genes may be sensitive to cytarabine, which is a chemotherapy drug already approved for intrathecal injection in certain types of leukemia involving the brain and spinal fluid.

  This finding suggests that cytarabine could be worth further study in patients with leptomeningeal spread of glioma, where chemotherapy is sometimes administered directly into the spinal fluid. CoSyne is interested in collecting case reports from patients who have both malignant glioma and leptomeningeal disease to better understand responses and tolerability in this rare condition. 

  If you have this condition, it might be worth checking your pathology report for TP53 and RB1 genes. If they are wildtype (not mutated), this may be an accessible option for you. If you or your medical care team would like to learn more about this research effort, please sign up for our patient navigation program here. 

  
  
• Biomarker analysis includes clues to long-term survival in glioblastoma patients treated with SurVaxM        

  A new study out of Roswell Park has provided insight on why some glioblastoma (GBM) patients have responded especially well to SurVaxM, an experimental vaccine that targets survivin. Survivin is a protein found in about 95% of GBMs, and the vaccine teaches the immune system to attack survivin-positive cells.

  In the Phase 2a trial, 63 newly diagnosed patients received standard care plus SurVaxM. Researchers analyzed detailed molecular tumor data from 34 of those patients and found that long-term survivors (those living more than 18 months) had tumors with high B and T cell infiltration, stronger interferon signaling, and a shared five-gene expression pattern. These immune features didn’t predict survival in an external control group of registry patients who didn’t get SurVaxM, which suggests these molecular signatures might help predict who benefits most from the vaccine rather than just who has a better prognosis in general. 

  Notably, ten patients are still alive over seven years after receiving SurVaxM, including five with no recurrence to date. It is also worth noting that both the Phase 2a and 2b trials only enrolled patients with very little tumor left after surgery (less than 1.0 cm3 contrast-enhancing disease), so these findings may not apply to everyone with GBM.

  The larger Phase 2b randomized trial is now fully enrolled. An independent interim review from early 2025 recommended the trial continue without changes, which is an encouraging sign. We’ll share updates as soon as final results are available!