Immunotherapy for glioblastoma: advancing treatment and understanding
Official title: Advancing treatment and understanding of immunotherapy in glioblastoma
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11608606 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A patient-friendly summary of a grant exploring new immune-based treatments for glioblastoma to improve options for people affected by this brain cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | September 10, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $838,812 |
| NIH project number | 3U19CA264338-05S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11608606 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults diagnosed with glioblastoma or other grade IV astrocytic tumors who may be eligible for immune-based treatment approaches.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without access to immunotherapy options or those with tumors not responsive to immune-based strategies may see no direct benefit.
What this research studies
This grant focuses on improving immune-based therapies for glioblastoma, a very aggressive brain tumor. Researchers at UCSF will build on existing work to better understand how immunotherapy might help patients live longer and with a better quality of life. The work involves collaboration among experts to refine treatment approaches and translate findings into clinical options for people with glioblastoma. The project aims to align laboratory insights with patient-centered care and outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could lead to more effective immune therapies for glioblastoma, potentially improving survival and quality of life for patients.
How similar studies have gone: Many prior immunotherapy studies in glioblastoma show promise but results have been variable, making this an important area to further validate.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Butowski, Nicholas a — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Butowski, Nicholas a
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding why some glioblastoma patients respond long-term to an ATL-DC vaccine
A study in glioblastoma patients exploring why a personalized vaccine made from a patient’s own tumor blood cells helps some people live longer.
-
Immunotherapy for Glioblastoma by Targeting a neuroimmune signal
A new approach aims to help people with glioblastoma by blocking a nerve-derived signal that keeps tumor-fighting immune cells from working well.
-
Tumor-fighting NK cells that target glioblastoma
A science team is testing engineered natural killer (NK) cells to better home in on and kill glioblastoma tumors in the brain.
-
Changing the glioblastoma tumor environment to boost immune therapy
This project tests whether blocking Wnt signaling together with PD‑1 immunotherapy can help people with glioblastoma by reducing immune‑suppressing cells and increasing tumor‑fighting immune cells.
-
Neuroimaging-guided immunotherapy for glioblastoma
A patient-facing overview of a project using advanced brain imaging to guide immunotherapy treatments for glioblastoma, aiming to improve how well these therapies work.
-
Developing nanoparticles to enhance immune response against brain cancer
This study is exploring a new way to help fight glioblastoma, a tough type of brain cancer, by using tiny particles to deliver a special RNA that can boost the immune system's ability to attack the tumor, and it's being tested in mice to see how well it works.
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.