Latest News

• Autem Therapeutics Receives $100,000 Venture Philanthropy Grant from The Musella Foundation to Advance Glioblastoma Research        

  We are proud to announce we have awarded a $100,000 venture philanthropy grant to Autem Therapeutics to support research on AutEMsys™, a non-invasive, low-intensity radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) device, being studied as a potential new treatment approach for glioblastoma. The grant will support study of RF-EMF exposure in patient-derived "tumoroids" - three-dimensional models grown directly from patient tumor tissue - and early clinical research in newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients. This research will explore whether RF-EMF exposure can shift the electrical balance of tumor-infiltrated brain tissue toward a state that suppresses tumor growth, further inform its mode of action and generate early data on patient experience and outcomes.

   
  
  
• Nuvation Bio to Expand Pivotal Phase 3 SIGMA Study of Safusidenib for IDH1-Mutant Glioma to Six European Countries        

  Safusidenib is an investigational oral drug that crosses the blood-brain barrier and targets IDH1 mutations. The randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 3 SIGMA trial (NCT05303519) is now at the stage where they are evaluating the drug as maintenance therapy for patients with high-risk, IDH1-mutant astrocytoma following radiation and temozolomide. An exploratory cohort is also studying patients with grade 3 IDH1-mutant oligodendroglioma who have not yet received radiation or chemotherapy. The trial began enrolling in 2023, initially at sites in the United States, Australia, China, Canada and Japan. Now, new sites have been added across Europe.
  
  Earlier this year, updated results from a separate Phase 2 study of safusidenib for previously untreated grade 2 IDH1-mutant glioma were encouraging, with a 52% confirmed response rate and 79% of patients remaining progression-free at three years. However, the Phase 3 SIGMA trial is still active and has not yet reported results. 

  
  
• Brain-Activated CAR T Therapy Advances Toward Clinical Testing for Pediatric Cancer        

  Researchers at UCSF have developed a CAR T-cell therapy designed to activate its tumor-targeting machinery only after reaching the brain. Unlike conventional CAR T cells, which are already equipped to recognize and attack tumor cells when infused, this approach uses a two-step system. The cells first detect brevican, a protein found in the brain, which switches on their ability to recognize and attack tumor cells. In mouse models, the treatment eliminated diffuse midline glioma (DMG) tumors, and remained active enough to attack tumors introduced weeks later. The results are still preclinical, by they hope to begin first-in-human clinical trials in early 2027.

  
  
• Glioblastoma fights back and often defeats the brain's defenses against tumor growth        

  Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have discovered another way glioblastoma manipulates the surrounding brain to promote its growth. The study, published in Neuron, found that GBM disrupts the brain's natural system for calming electrical activity. Researchers identified GAT-1, a protein that helps regulate GABA, the chemical messenger responsible for much of this calming effect. They found that removing GAT-1 from tumor cells accelerated tumor growth, while activating inhibitory neurons around tumors slowed growth in animal models. The researchers also found that two FDA-approved medications, lorazepam and valproic acid, which enhance GABA-related activity, reduced tumor growth in mice.

  These findings add an interesting dimension to research we previously reported from the University of Miami. That study found that GABA can have the opposite effect in certain immune cells, activating MDSCs that suppress the body's ability to attack the tumor. This effect was particularly pronounced in female models. Together, the studies suggest that GABA signaling can be beneficial in some cells but harmful in others: restoring its calming effects in neurons may help slow tumor growth, while blocking its effects on immune-suppressive cells may help restore anti-tumor immunity. Both studies are preclinical, and more research is needed to determine whether these strategies can benefit patients.

  
  
• How to Care for Caregivers? NCCN Debuts Essential Guide for Supporting Loved Ones with Cancer        

  The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has published a brand new, free guide to help people caring for loved ones with cancer. The guide offers practical advice on providing emotional support, managing medical care, handling finances and household responsibilities, navigating legal concerns, and maintaining one's own well-being as a caregiver. It is for caregivers across all cancer types, but it specifically mentions the Musella Foundation as a resource for brain tumor patients and their families!

  
  
• New Treatment Holds Promise as a Trojan Horse Against Cancer        

  We have previously shared results from the Phase 1 adult trial for oral gallium maltolate in recurrent glioblastoma (GBM), and we helped fund the expanded access program. Now, researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin have received a $2.4 million NIH grant to further investigate the treatment for aggressive pediatric brain tumors. The research will focus on establishing a more comprehensive safety profile, identifying molecular markers that predict which tumors are most sensitive to the drug, and investigating the drug together with radiation. In preliminary animal research, gallium maltolate combined with reduced-dose radiation produced survival of eight months in one rat, compared with approximately 30-70 days in previous comparison studies. All of this work builds on the encouraging but preliminary results of the adult Phase 1 GBM trial, which is now being advanced toward Phase 2. There is also a new Phase 1 trial launching soon at the Medical College of Wisconsin for relapsed or refractory pediatric high-grade glioma and atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT).