Latest News

• Help needed for research project!        

  The Musella Foundation is working to develop a patient decision aid to help brain cancer patients and families understand the benefits and limitations of tumor treating fields (TTFields), so they can make a more informed decision about whether this treatment is right for them.

  You can help! Read our short education module and then take a brief test to see how well the information was communicated. It takes about 15–20 minutes, and your answers will help us improve and standardize how information about TTFields is shared with patients and families.

  
  
• Imvax Glioblastoma Data Backs Move Toward Phase 3 Trial        

  We have been following Imvax and its personalized glioblastoma (GBM) vaccine, IGV-001, for several years. The early Phase 1b data caught our attention because it included a notable group of long-term survivors, with 5 of 33 patients living at least 60 months. Subsequent studies continued to show encouraging survival signals.

  Now, Imvax has announced plans to move IGV-001 into a randomized Phase 3 trial in newly diagnosed GBM patients with an unmethylated MGMT promoter. The study is expected to enroll about 375 patients in the US. In the Phase 2b trial, median overall survival was 20.3 months with IGV-001 compared with 14.0 months with placebo. In the subgroup of 48 patients with unmethylated MGMT promoter, median overall survival was 14.8 months compared with 10.6 months (4.2 month difference, p = 0.0808). Imvax also reported delayed deterioration of Karnofsky Performance Status, favorable quality-of-life measures, fewer severe toxicities and a lower burden of serious adverse events for IGV-001 patients compared with placebo.

  
  
• Scientists find the gene that drives T-cell exhaustion, revealing new strategy to improve immune responses        

  When T cells, a type of immune cell that can attack cancer, are exposed to a tumor for too long, they can become “exhausted” and lose their effectiveness. Researchers at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital found that ZMYND8, a gene-regulating protein, helps drive this exhaustion by turning down IL-2 signaling, which helps T cells stay active. In mouse models, removing ZMYND8 helped T cells remain functional and improved their ability to control tumors, and combining ZMYND8 removal with either IL-2 or checkpoint blockade produced an even stronger response. The findings suggest that blocking ZMYND8 could potentially help overcome T-cell exhaustion and make existing immunotherapies more effective, although the research is still preclinical.

  
  
• Divergent medulloblastoma chromatin states disclose KDM2B as a selective dependency        

  Medulloblastoma has four major molecular subgroups. In high-risk groups 3 and 4, the tumors can have changes in the way DNA is packaged and controlled. Recent preclinical research from St Jude and collaborators has identified a potential vulnerability involving a protein called KDM2B, which appears to help these tumor cells maintain their cancerous state. When researchers removed or blocked KDM2B, the group 3 and 4 tumors grew much less effectively in lab and animal models. Thus, KDM2B may be a promising therapeutic target; however, more research is needed to determine whether this mechanism can be safely and successfully targeted in patients.

  
  
• Harvard event on 'The Voice of Glioblastoma'        

  For our friends in or near Massachusetts, the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics will host “Dignity and Defiance: The Voice of Glioblastoma” on October 1, exploring visibility, dignity, and a new ethic of care for people living with glioblastoma and the families who care for them. The free, in-person event is open to the public; register here.

  
  
• Share Your Experiences With Glioblastoma - Earn $75        

  Our partners at Pinpoint Patient Recruiting, a market research recruitment company, are searching for people who have been diagnosed with glioblastoma (GBM), or their care partner, to participate in an online survey about their experiences.  The objective of the survey is to learn more about the experiences of people living with GBM and their opinions on treatments and care. Qualified participants who complete a 30-minute online survey will be paid $75 in appreciation of their input and time. 

  You may qualify to complete the survey if you, or the person you care for,  are over the age of 22 and: 
        • newly diagnosed or had a recurrence within the last 3 to 15 months
        • are currently receiving or  pursuing treatment for GBM
        • a resident of the United States

  Please note all information and responses will remain confidential. To see if you qualify for the study or to get more information, please visit pinpointpatientrecruiting.com/gbm-survey-al or contact Ashley Maggio at ashley.maggio@pinpointpatientrecruiting.com.