Giving immune checkpoint therapy before surgery for recurrent glioblastoma
Official title: Neoadjuvant checkpoint blockade for recurrent glioblastoma
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11307135 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research gives an immune checkpoint drug before surgery to people with recurrent glioblastoma to help the immune system attack the tumor.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $493,424 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA267726-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11307135 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with recurrent glioblastoma who are eligible for surgical tumor removal and can safely receive immune checkpoint therapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not having surgery, who cannot receive checkpoint drugs due to autoimmune disease or immune suppression, or who have other serious health issues may not benefit.
What this research studies
If you join, you'll receive an anti–PD‑1 immune drug before a planned surgery to remove recurrent glioblastoma. Surgeons and researchers will collect tumor tissue and blood during surgery and afterward to study immune cells and gene activity. The team compares this 'neoadjuvant' (before-surgery) approach with giving the drug after surgery to see which produces stronger immune responses and longer survival. Earlier small trials showed longer median survival with neoadjuvant treatment, and this project builds on those findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could strengthen the immune attack on glioblastoma and extend survival for people with recurrent tumors.
How similar studies have gone: Small randomized and surgical trials of neoadjuvant PD‑1 blockade have shown immune changes and longer median overall survival versus adjuvant-only treatment, but larger confirmation is still needed.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Prins, Robert M — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Prins, Robert M
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Using immune therapy before surgery for recurrent glioblastoma
This study is looking at how giving a special immune therapy before surgery can help patients with recurrent glioblastoma fight their tumors better, and it will compare the results to the usual treatments given after surgery.
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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.