Glioblastoma News and Research

RSS

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive and malignant form of glioma, a type of primary brain cancer. Surgery is often used to treat gliomas, along with radiation. However, since surgery and radiation fail to cure the disease, doctors may turn to additional radiation or chemotherapy. In early stages glioblastoma tumors often grow without symptoms and therefore can become quite large before symptoms arise. When the tumor becomes symptomatic, tumor growth is usually very rapid and is accompanied by altered brain function, and if left untreated the disease becomes lethal. Although primary treatment is often successful in temporarily stopping the progression of the tumor, glioblastomas almost always recur and become lethal.

Presence of jumping genes, amplified oncogenes may be key to tumor progression: Researchers

The Massachusetts General Hospital research team that first discovered tumor-associated RNA in tiny membrane-enclosed sacs released into the bloodstream by cancer cells has now found that these microvesicles also contain segments of tumor DNA, including retrotransposons - also called "jumping genes" - that copy and insert themselves into other areas of the genome.

10 Feb 2011

Study reveals how MMSET gene enables disease-causing mutations to occur

For several decades, researchers have been linking genetic mutations to diseases ranging from cancer to developmental abnormalities. What hasn't been clear, however, is how the body's genome sustains such destructive glitches in the first place.

3 Feb 2011

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics initiates enrollment in ICT-107 Phase II trial for GBM

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd., a biotechnology company that is developing immune-based therapies for the treatment of various forms of cancer, announced today that the first patient has been enrolled in its Phase II trial of ICT-107 at the New Jersey Neuroscience Institute at JFK Medical Center. ICT-107 is the company's dendritic cell based cancer vaccine candidate for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

3 Feb 2011

Targeted delivery combination crosses brain protecting barrier and homes in on tumors

A targeted delivery combination selectively crosses the tight barrier that protects the brain from the bloodstream to home in on and bind to brain tumors, a research team led by scientists from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reported in the January issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

2 Feb 2011

VBL commences two studies to evaluate efficacy, safety of VB-111 in advanced cancers

VBL Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to the development of novel treatments for immune-inflammatory diseases and cancer, today announced the initiation of two studies to further evaluate the efficacy and safety of VB-111 in advanced cancers.

31 Jan 2011

Plexxikon begins PLX5622 Phase 1 trial in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Plexxikon today announced that dosing began in the first of two Phase 1 clinical trials with PLX5622, a novel, oral and highly selective Fms inhibitor, targeted for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

27 Jan 2011

Glioblastoma's molecular flexibility helps resist nearly all treatment efforts

Glioblastoma, the most common and lethal form of brain cancer and the disease that killed Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, resists nearly all treatment efforts, even when attacked simultaneously on several fronts. One explanation can be found in the tumor cells' unexpected flexibility, discovered researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

25 Jan 2011

Northwest Biotherapeutics resumes enrollment in DCVax Phase II clinical trial for GBM brain cancer

Northwest Biotherapeutics announced today that the Company is resuming enrollment of additional new patients into its ongoing 240-patient, double blind, randomized, placebo controlled Phase II clinical trial of DCVax for Glioblastoma multiforme brain cancer.

24 Jan 2011

FibroGen announces FG-3019 interim results from phase 1/2 trial against pancreatic cancer

FibroGen, today announced interim results of a phase 1/2 trial of FG-3019, a therapeutic antibody against connective tissue growth factor, in combination with gemcitabine and erlotinib in individuals with unresectable pancreatic cancer.

23 Jan 2011

Positive results from nimotuzumab Phase II study for gastric cancer

YM BioSciences, a life sciences product development company advancing a diverse portfolio of promising hematology and cancer-related products at various stages of development, today announced that results were reported from a randomized Phase II gastric cancer study of nimotuzumab being conducted by its licensees, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. in Japan and Kuhnil Pharma Co. Ltd., in Korea.

21 Jan 2011

New long-term survival data from OPUS, CRYSTAL studies demonstrate strong tumor shrinkage of Erbitux

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, today highlighted a further analysis of the large randomized Phase II OPUS study demonstrating an association between early tumor shrinkage and long-term median overall survival (OS) of more than 2 years for patients with KRAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treated with Erbitux® (cetuximab) plus FOLFOX standard chemotherapy.

19 Jan 2011

UCSF student wins 2010 Lucien Rubenstein Award

The American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA) has announced that Ryan Salinas, now a 2nd-year medical student at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), is the 2010 Lucien Rubenstein Award recipient. The work of Salinas, one of 10 ABTA Medical Student Summer Fellows in 2010, was deemed "outstanding" by the organization's distinguished Scientific Advisory Council.

14 Jan 2011

New research shows enzyme-armed oncolytic virus may help fight brain tumors

New research shows that oncolytic viruses, which are engineered to destroy cancer cells, might be more effective in treating deadly brain tumors if equipped with an enzyme that helps them penetrate the tumor.

13 Jan 2011

Sangamo completes enrollment in SB-509-901 Phase 2b clinical trial in diabetic neuropathy

Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. announced today that the company completed enrollment of its Phase 2b double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial (SB-509-901) in subjects with diabetic neuropathy (DN). The company expects to have efficacy data from this study in the second half of 2011. The company also plans to present the first human clinical data from its Phase 1 trials of SB-728-T in HIV/AIDS in the first quarter of 2011.

10 Jan 2011

FDA grants Exelixis XL184 orphan drug designation for treatment of medullary thyroid cancer

Exelixis, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to XL184 for treatment of follicular, medullary, and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, and metastatic or locally advanced papillary thyroid cancer. A pivotal phase 3 trial of XL184 is ongoing in patients with medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) and the company expects to release top-line phase 3 results in the first-half of 2011 and potentially file a New Drug Application (NDA) for the compound in the second-half of 2011.

10 Jan 2011

New research: NFKBIA gene loss induces glioblastoma development

New research shows that loss of a gene called NFKBIA promotes the growth of glioblastoma multiforme, the most common and deadly form of brain cancer, and suggests that therapies that stabilize this gene may improve survival for certain glioblastoma patients.

7 Jan 2011

FDA approves ImmunoCellular Therapeutics IND amendment for ICT-107 Phase II clinical trial

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd., a biotechnology company that is developing immune-based therapies for the treatment of various forms of cancer, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Company's Investigational New Drug (IND) amendment to conduct a Phase II clinical trial in the U.S. of ICT-107, the company's dendritic cell based cancer vaccine candidate for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

4 Jan 2011

Myrexis initiates controlled two-arm Azixa Phase 2b clinical study in glioblastoma multiforme

EpiCept Corporation today reported that Myrexis, Inc. has initiated a controlled two-arm Phase 2b clinical study of Azixa™ as a front-line treatment for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Azixa™, a vascular disruption agent with potent anti-cancer activity, was discovered by EpiCept as part of its ASAP technology platform and licensed to Myrexis.

28 Dec 2010

YM Biosciences underwriters exercise Over-Allotment Option in full

YM BioSciences Inc. announced today that, in connection with its previously announced public offering for total net proceeds before expenses of US $37,650,000, the underwriters have exercised in full their Over-Allotment Option to purchase an additional 3,750,000 common shares of YM at US $1.60 per share for additional net proceeds of US $5,665,000.

24 Dec 2010

Myrexis commences Azixa controlled two-arm Phase 2b clinical study in GBM

Myrexis, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing novel treatments for cancer, today announced it has initiated a controlled two-arm Phase 2b clinical study of Azixa (verubulin) as a front-line treatment for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

23 Dec 2010