LONDON — Researchers have developed an experimental immunotherapy that eliminated detectable tumors and produced long-term disease-free survival in preclinical models of glioblastoma, raising hopes for a potential new treatment against one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer, according to findings published this month.
The study, led by researchers at King's College London and McMaster University in Canada, tested an engineered chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy designed to recognize and attack glioblastoma cells. The investigators said the treatment successfully eradicated tumors in multiple laboratory models, including those grown from patients' tumor samples, while demonstrating durable responses in preclinical testing.
Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive malignant brain tumor in adults. Despite surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, the disease frequently returns. Researchers said average survival after diagnosis remains about 12 to 18 months, and only about 5% of patients survive beyond five years.
The research team said the therapy targets aggressive brain tumor-initiating cells that are believed to drive recurrence and treatment resistance. Using advanced molecular analysis, the scientists also identified the protein uPAR as a promising therapeutic target because it is highly expressed in recurrent tumors and within parts of the tumor environment that help sustain cancer growth.
Professor Sheila Singh, who led the research at King's College London and McMaster University, said the findings suggest CAR-T cell therapy could be adapted to treat glioblastoma, although further studies are needed before the approach can be tested widely in patients. The researchers emphasized that the current results are based on preclinical models and do not demonstrate effectiveness in humans.
CAR-T therapy has transformed treatment for several blood cancers by genetically modifying a patient's own immune cells to recognize and destroy cancer cells. However, applying the technology to solid tumors such as glioblastoma has proved significantly more difficult because of the tumor's complex biology and its ability to suppress immune responses.
The latest findings add to a growing body of research exploring new immunotherapies for aggressive brain cancers. Separate studies reported this year have investigated personalized vaccines, multi-target T-cell therapies and other experimental approaches, though most remain in early-stage clinical or preclinical development.
The researchers said additional studies will be required to establish the therapy's safety and effectiveness before it can advance through clinical testing in patients.
