News from Research on the Third Two Months 2020

9 July 2020 0 By Roberto Pugliese

This is the third article of the project which aims to periodically (every two months) collect research news on possible treatments for glioblastoma multiforme. Here are the news that I found most significant. As for the last two months, each news item will be preceded by the original title with links to the source and followed by a short comment. The criterion with which the news is chosen is for now to include only the news relating to research in the clinical phase, unless the potential of research for the treatment of glioblastoma is truly remarkable.

Pharmacokinetics, Safety and Tolerability of Olaparib and Temozolomide for Recurrent Glioblastoma: Results of the Phase I OPARATIC Trial

There are two important aspects of this study. The first is that Olaparib does not pass the blood brain barrier in mice but passes it in men which means that we cannot look only on the results of tests on mice to evaluate whether or not a drug passes the blood brain barrier. The second is that Olaparib seems to have the effect of accentuating the effectiveness of radiotherapy and chemotherapy with temozolomide. Further tests are needed.

Improved Survival for GBM Patients Treated with DC Vaccine and Adjuvant TLR-3 Agonist in Phase II Clinical Trial        

This is a small randomized trial that included Grade III and IV brain tumors but the results are very interesting since adding the approved stimulator for skin cancers, a median survival of 54 months is obtained compared to 11 months of patients who they received the palcebo.

China NMPA Approves Optune® for the Treatment of Newly Diagnosed and Recurrent Glioblastoma

The Optune device has also been approved in China. The treatment tested in 5 years more than doubled the patients’ life expectancy. When will it be the turn of Italy?

Phase 2a study to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics, and clinical activity of the PI3K / mTOR inhibitor GDC-0084 given to glioblastoma (GBM) patients with unmethylated MGMT promotor status 

It is an experimental drug tested on 8 patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma with unmylated MGMT methylation factor that has gone very well compared to Temozolomide. This opens up new treatment options for non-mitilated glioblastomas also in combination with other treatments.

Global Coalition for Adaptive Research (GCAR) Selects DelMar Pharmaceuticals’ VAL-083 to Participate in the GBM AGILE Pivotal Study, an Adaptive Clinical Trial Platform in Glioblastoma Multiforme

GBM Agile is the new generation of clinical trials where different drugs are tested compared to a common control group. Val-083 experimental chemotherapy was chosen which is similar to Temodar but works on a different area of DNA where the MGMT enzyme that repairs cancer cells cannot have an effect. In theory this therapy works equally well with tumors with methylated and non-methylated MGMT factor unlike Temodar which works well only on methylate.

Cancer Vaccine Plus Adoptive T-cell Therapy Placed on Fast Track

Initial results report a 6-month improvement in survival and 23% of patients achieved significant reductions in tumor mass. The FDA then selected this vaccine for the so-called priority lane for rapid approval.

ERC Belgium Submits Marketing Authorization Application to European Medicines Agency (EMA) for Glioblastoma Immunotherapy, SITOIGANAP

This vaccine developed in europe seems to be very safe and the first results show that it is effective with more than 10% of patients with recurrent GBM who have survived over 3 years.

Plasmatic circRNA Predicting the Occurrence of Human Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma presents with symptoms when it is often already late. An early diagnosis is therefore very important. This study appears to demonstrate that three minimally invasive biomarkers circFOXO3, circ_0029426, and circ-SHPRH can be used for early diagnosis and prognosis prediction.

Short Treatment Delays May Not Hamper Survival in Glioblastoma

This study shows that slight delays of even a few weeks in starting treatments after surgery do not affect patient survival.

MBP Scientist Searching for Novel Ways to Target Glioblastoma Stem Sells

This study is interesting because it deals with stem cells of glioblastoma which are extremely resistant to drugs and are responsible for recurrences. Developing drug resistance makes recurrences increasingly aggressive.

First Patient Treated in Phase 1 Clinical Trial Of Incysus Therapeutics Gamma Delta (γδ) T Cell

We have already talked about this new therapy last two months, now the therapy has been administered to a patient. This type of immunotherapy is not affected and indeed works together with chemotherapy.

Antimalarial drug boosts glioblastoma treatment

This study, which is preclinical, shows that lumefantrine, an antimalarial drug, can reduce the resistance of glioblastoma to treatments. Interesting how antimalarial drugs such as lumefantrine and also chloroquine are often used in combination with other treatments to fight brain tumors.

Innovative use of focused ultrasound shows promise against glioblastoma

This approach uses a drug to sensitize glioblastoma cells to sound waves. A focused sound wave emitter is then directed onto the lesion. Cancer cells develop small bubbles inside them that cause death. This study is also in the pre-clinical phase.

And that’s all for the third two-month period of 2020! Good luck to all patients with glioblastoma multiforme. We must do everything possible to raise public awareness of this pathology, the devastating impact of which is unfortunately growing rapidly. In this period I have not been able to write much but I have been contacted by an increasing number of people whom I hope to have given at least some useful information.