For those following the story of Professor Richard Scolyer, world-renowned pathologist and melanoma researcher who was diagnosed with GBM in 2023, this case report related to his treatment was just published. The article mentions that a clinical trial testing neoadjuvant combination checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is planned for newly diagnosed GBM. For more info on the planned clinical trial, click here.

This is interesting new research from UCLA. They found that a plant-derived compound called forskolin can cross the blood-brain barrier and can be used synergistically with radiation. Recent research has shown that radiation may temporarily make glioma stem cells more flexible, so researchers theorized that adding forskolin at the right moment could exploit this flexibility by pushing the cells towards a less harmful (i.e. nondividing) neuron-like or microglia-like state. When they tested the dual combination in mice, the approach extended median survival and, in some cases, led to long-term tumor control.

The Musella Foundation helped fund this research! This recently published preclinical study shows how changing the conductivity of the hydrogel used with tumor treating fields (TTFields) can improve the therapy effectiveness by increasing coverage of gross tumor volume up to a certain point. This research will help optimize this aspect of TTFields while also minimizing skin toxicity. The article also gives some good insights on potentially improving scalp/skin conductivity. 

Our copayment assistance program is now closed to new patients and renewals. We will let you know when we reopen. Of course, we will continue to pay claims for those with active grants. We had a busy start to the year. In January alone, we approved 50 patients for grants up to $5,000 each, which is more than we had any month last year!  

We're excited to see this special FDA designation for GB13! GB13 is an investigational immunotoxin which uses a precision-targeting mechanism that selectively attacks cells expressing IL13Ra2, a receptor that is highly expressed in brain tumors and other cancers but rarely found in normal tissues. The Musella Foundation gave 2 research grants to help get this therapy started and have been following it closely. 

These two recently published studies represent a breakthrough in understanding and leveraging the role of OLIG2 in Sonic Hedgehog medulloblastoma (SHH-MB), and this work could potentially be applied to other brain cancers as well. 

In the first study, Desai et al identified OLIG2 as a key regulator of the transcription from quiescent to activated states in SOX2+ stem-like cells, which is critical for tumor growth. They showed that inhibiting OLIG2 with CT-179 effectively blocks this transition, reducing tumor formation and regrowth after therapy. 

The second study by Li et al. looked at CT-179's mechanism of action, showing it disrupts the ability of OLIG2 to pair up and bind to DNA. Their research revealed that CT-179 promotes tumor cell differentiation and apoptosis, enhances radiation, and could be combined with CDK4/6 inhibitors to overcome treatment resistance. 

Based on these findings, we hope to see further development of CT-179 for SHH-MB and other brain tumors!
 

The Making Headway Foundation has a 2025 college scholarship application open! If you are a brain or spinal cord tumor survivor, living in the NY/NJ/CT area, you are eligible to apply. In 2025, at least 15 scholarships will be offered, each worth up to $5,000. A special $15,000 scholarship will also be given as part of the 6th annual Michael Schwartz Making Headway Scholarship.

The Making Headway Foundation college scholarship program is built upon the Scott J. Reisser Memorial Scholarship Fund, established in 2007. This fund is the culmination of Scott’s family’s efforts to create a fitting memorial to their beloved son, brother, grandson, nephew, and friend to so many. Scott’s most cherished dream was to graduate from college, a milestone he fell just short of achieving. After his death in 2006, it was clear that the most appropriate way to honor his memory would be by helping other young brain tumor survivors achieve their educational goals. Since 2007, Making Headway has given out 176 college scholarships in his memory.

To learn more and apply, visit http://makingheadway.org/scholarship/. The deadline for applications to be submitted is May 1, 2025. If you have any questions, please email Jennifer@MakingHeadway.org or call 914-238-8384.

Our first webinar of 2025 is tomorrow, January 28, at 7pm EST!  Dr. Adam Sonabend will discuss his work with the Sonocloud-9 device and the Sonobird Phase 3 trial. To join, visit virtualtrials.org/webinar.    

This presentation by Dr. Al-Gizawiy at the Medical College of Wisconsin includes some 'hot off the press' preclinical research on the potential for gallium maltolate as a radiosensitizer. There is also a good Q&A section at the end.

The Musella Foundation Copayment Assistance Program is running low on funding and will close to new and renewal applications soon. Of course, we will continue to pay claims for those already approved - just will not be able to accept new applications. So if you have been thinking of applying, go to brainumorcopays.org and follow the directions to send in an application! 

Our new "Low Grade Brain Tumor Guide" is now available! You can view it on our website or order free printed copies HERE. 

Mark your calendars for January 28 at 7pm EST! We'll be hosting a webinar with Dr. Adam Sonabend to discuss his work with the Sonocloud-9 device and the Sonobird Phase 3 trial for recurrent GBM. 

This post hoc analysis looked at the effect of temozolomide (TMZ) timing on glioblastoma outcomes using data from two past clinical trials: the CENTRIC trial (for MGMT methylated patients) and the CORE trial (for MGMT unmethylated patients). Due to EU patient data regulations, only patients from the studies who were deceased at the time of database closure (April 1, 2024) were included in the analysis (i.e., 72% of patients from CENTRIC and 75% of patients from CORE). In CENTRIC, median overall survival (mOS) was 20.6 months for morning TMZ versus 21.1 months for evening TMZ. In CORE, mOS was 10.9 months for morning TMZ versus 11.4 months for evening TMZ. These differences were not statistically significant. However, morning TMZ administration was associated with higher bone marrow toxicity in both trials. Although this analysis found no survival benefit based on TMZ timing, these results should only be considered exploratory, and not definitive, due to the study limitations. 

This study analyzed data from a French national network database to compare two different chemotherapy regimens (procarbazine-CCNU-vincristine [PCV] versus temozolomide [TMZ]) in patients with newly diagnosed IDH-mutant 1p/19q-codeleted grade 3 oligodendroglioma. The results showed patients who received first-line PCV with radiation therapy lived longer than those who received TMZ with radiation therapy. After 5 years, 89% of patients treated with PCV were still alive, compared to 75% of those treated with TMZ. At 10 years, the survival rate was 72% for PCV and 60% for TMZ. While TMZ is generally easier for patients to tolerate, these results suggest it may not be as effective as PCV in this particular cohort. 

The Irene & Eric Simon Brain Research Foundation is now accepting applications from undergraduates, first year graduates and medical students for Summer Fellowships in neuroscience. For applications and instructions, click the picture below:

We summarized an abstract on this study in our SNO 2024 Highlights (see CTIM-28), but the full publication is now available. The study investigated giving pembrolizumab (an anti-PD1 drug) before surgery to recurrent GBM patients, followed by continued pembrolizumab after surgery. The results showed this approach led to changes in the tumor's immune environment, including increased T-cell activity and interferon-related gene expression. However, despite the encouraging molecular changes, this treatment did not demonstrate a significant survival benefit. Future research should explore combining this approach with additional complementary therapies.

Our December webinar with Dr. Michael Schulder on sonodynamic therapy using focused ultrasound for glioma is now available on the Musella Foundation website: click HERE. This is one of our favorite treatments in the pipeline, and the webinar is worth a watch!

The Society for Neuro-Oncology annual meeting is the biggest event of the year for brain cancer research. Here are some of the most important highlights from the research presented at this year's SNO 2024 meeting. 

We are proud to announce the following research grants: 

1. $18,800 grant to Cypris Therapeutics to fund the project: Synergistic Co-therapy of Cholesterol

2. $55,000 grant to Dr. Eric Wong at Rhode Island Hospital to fund the project: Optimization of Computer Modeling of Tumor Treating Fields for Clinical Applications: Incorporation of Perfusion Studies

To view all of our research grants, click HERE. 

As we close out the year, we're proud to share our Musella Foundation 2024 Highlights. Everything we do —funding research, expanding patient navigation services, providing vital educational resources, patient advocacy— can only be done with your support. Please consider making a year-end donation to help us continue driving progress, supporting patients and families, and bringing hope to the brain tumor community. Every dollar helps!