Glioblastoma Research Projects
MOON SHOTS PROGRAM
Glioblastoma Priority Projects
Through its priority projects, the Glioblastoma Moon Shot® is conducting impactful research in the lab and clinic to improve the lives of patients. Research efforts aim to better understand glioblastoma, develop innovative new therapies and conduct transformational clinical trials.
Tumor Analysis
In this project, researchers will use the CATALYST (CNS Tumor Analysis Stream for Comprehensive Assessment of Biospecimens) program, established by the Moon Shot to analyze biospecimens from patients before, during and after treatment in a multi-disciplinary way. This process will allow researchers to study changes over time, leading to a better understanding of glioblastoma development and potential treatments.
The goals of this project are to:
- Define signatures of brain tumors through genetic and epigenetic profiling
- Better understand the limited activity of immunotherapy in brain tumors through detailed immune profiling of matched tumor and blood samples
- Identify glioblastoma biomarkers and develop non-invasive approaches to diagnose cancer and follow tumor progression by characterizing cerebrospinal fluid and blood samples
- Characterize and correlate gut and tumor microbiomes to determine if and how the microbiome affects tumor biology, treatment responses and overall patient outcomes
Genetically Engineered Natural Killer Cell Therapy
This project is advancing the use of genetically engineered natural killer (NK) cell therapy in treating glioblastoma. After learning how NK cells, a type of immune cell, are suppressed by the glioblastoma tumor microenvironment, the Moon Shot team is now creating NK cells that are genetically engineered to resist that immune suppression.
The goals of this project are to:
- Launch a clinical trial evaluating the use of engineered NK cells in treating glioblastoma
- Test next-generation NK cells with cytokines to stimulate activity and promote longevity after infusion
Viro-Immunotherapy
The Moon Shot has successfully developed Delta-24-RGD, a cold virus engineered to infect and attack glioblastoma cells. Researchers are exploring the possibility of delivering the virus directly to the tumor using stem cells derived from bone marrow called mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).
The goal of this project is to:
- Continue a Phase I trial to determine appropriate treatment doses and validate the efficiency and ability of using MSCs to deliver the virus to glioblastomas