Drug delivery and testing support for glioblastoma treatments
Pharmacology Core
This effort helps researchers develop drug combinations that can get into the brain and better treat people with glioblastoma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11189639 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The Pharmacology Core works with project teams to improve how cancer drugs reach and act inside glioblastoma tumors. It focuses on measuring drug passage across the blood–brain barrier and how much drug reaches tumor tissue and the surrounding infiltrated brain. The core supports development of combination treatments targeting DNA-repair pathways (ATM/ATR and p53/MDM2) and performs spatial drug-level and effect measurements across tumor regions. Those results guide which drug combinations should move forward toward patient trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with glioblastoma who are eligible for clinical trials—typically adults with newly diagnosed or recurrent GBM—would be the likely candidates.
Not a fit: People without glioblastoma or those who do not meet trial eligibility (for example due to severe medical frailty or incompatible tumor biology) would not benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could produce drug combinations that reach more of the tumor and improve outcomes for people with glioblastoma.
How similar studies have performed: Some DNA-damage pathway inhibitors and MDM2-targeting drugs have shown early promise in other cancers, but applying these approaches successfully in glioblastoma remains largely unproven because of blood–brain barrier challenges.
Where this research is happening
Rochester, United States
- Mayo Clinic Rochester — Rochester, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Elmquist, William — Mayo Clinic Rochester
- Study coordinator: Elmquist, William
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.