NIH-funded research NIH-funded research

How glioblastoma changes across the tumor and over time during treatment

Official title: Dissecting spatiotemporal heterogeneity of glioblastoma evolution under therapy

Funded at Translational Genomics Research Inst · NIH-11457140 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This work maps how glioblastoma tumors shift their cell types and interactions during and after treatment to find weaknesses that could help people with recurrent GBM.

More Glioblastoma research and trials

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionTranslational Genomics Research Inst
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Phoenix, United States)
Project startFebruary 1, 2024
Project endMarch 31, 2029
Funding year2026
Award (this year)$248,999
NIH project number4R00CA286730-03
Project IDNIH-11457140 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

Ideal candidates would be people with IDH wild-type glioblastoma who have tumor tissue available from initial surgery and from a later recurrence or consent to provide samples during care at participating centers.

Less likely to help

People without glioblastoma, those with tumors that are not IDH wild-type, or patients seeking an immediate therapeutic benefit are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this research.

What this research studies

From my perspective as a patient, the team will study tumor tissue taken at first surgery and again if the tumor comes back to see how cancer cells and nearby brain cells change over time and across different tumor areas. They will use detailed molecular tools like single-nucleus RNA sequencing and proteogenomics to make cell-by-cell and protein-level maps of the tumor ecosystem. The researchers are especially looking at a neuronal-like state of tumor cells and how connections with normal neurons may help tumors invade and resist therapy. By comparing matched primary and recurrent samples, they hope to spot genetic and non-genetic changes that open up new treatment possibilities.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new molecular targets or strategies to better treat or prevent recurrent glioblastoma.

How similar studies have gone: Prior studies in cancer neuroscience have shown that neuron–glioma interactions matter for tumor growth, but translating those findings into patient treatments is still early and largely experimental.

Where this research is happening

  • Translational Genomics Research Inst
    Phoenix, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: Migliozzi, Simona — Translational Genomics Research Inst
  • Study coordinator: Migliozzi, Simona

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.