Engineered poliovirus to activate immunity against glioblastoma
Innate Antiviral Signals for Cancer Immunotherapy
This work uses a weakened, engineered poliovirus to turn on immune cells inside glioblastoma brain tumors to help the body fight the cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11174491 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's point of view, researchers are putting an altered, non‑harmful poliovirus into glioblastoma tumors to wake up the brain's immune cells that normally get suppressed by the tumor. They are studying how microglia and other tumor macrophages respond to the virus and which antiviral signals cause lasting inflammation in the tumor. The team combines experiments in the lab, animal models, and analysis of human tumor samples to map the immune changes the virus produces. The aim is to reprogram the tumor environment so immune-based therapies can work better against these aggressive brain tumors.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with glioblastoma who are eligible for intratumoral or intracranial oncolytic viral therapy and can be treated at a center offering this specialized approach.
Not a fit: Patients with other types of cancer, those who cannot undergo neurosurgical delivery, or people with severe immune suppression are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could make the immune system attack glioblastoma more effectively and potentially improve survival or slow tumor growth.
How similar studies have performed: Early clinical experience with PVSRIPO in glioblastoma has shown promising signals of durable benefit in a subset of patients, but larger confirmatory studies remain needed.
Where this research is happening
Durham, United States
- Duke University — Durham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gromeier, Matthias — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Gromeier, Matthias
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.