Funded by the Dick Vitale Pediatric Cancer Research Fund
Pediatric Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is a very tough brain tumor that affects kids. The chance of surviving for 5 years or more with this type of tumor is less than 15%. GBM causes many deaths each year in the U.S., and there isn’t a good treatment available right now. Surgery is the main way to treat GBM, but it’s really hard to get rid of all the tumor cells because they spread into nearby healthy brain tissue. This often causes the tumor to come back after surgery. The fact that GBM comes back is the main reason why survival rates are so low. In our previous study, we came up with a new way to stop GBM from coming back after surgery. We created a special immune cell called CAR-Macrophage that targets and kills any remaining GBM cells after surgery. Our early tests in mice with GBM showed very good results in keeping the tumor from returning. In this proposal, we want to make this method even better. Our new approach includes three main improvements: (1) nanoparticles that help deliver cell engineering tools to modify immune cells; (2) a gel that can fill the space left by the tumor after surgery; and (3) a better way to make the modified immune cells work more effectively and last longer. If this works, it could greatly improve treatment and survival rates for kids with GBM.
