Improving glioblastoma treatment by targeting tumor inflammation
Official title: Improving Glioma Immunotherapy Efficacy by Regulating Tumor Inflammation
Funded at Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope · NIH-11395402 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at using a new approach to help brain cancer patients with glioblastoma respond better to immunotherapy by reducing harmful inflammation in the tumor.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Duarte, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $571,835 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS134116-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11395402 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults diagnosed with glioblastoma or other gliomas who may be eligible for immunotherapy trials and whose tumors express RAGE pathways.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with glioblastoma whose tumors do not rely on RAGE signaling or who cannot receive immunotherapy may derive little to no benefit.
What this research studies
Glioblastoma remains highly resistant to current therapies, partly because drugs have trouble crossing the blood-brain barrier and tumors are very diverse. The researchers are exploring how blocking RAGE, a receptor that fuels tumor growth and suppresses immune responses, can make the tumor environment more friendly to immunotherapy. They build on prior work showing that removing intracellular RAGE in glioma cells and in the surrounding tissue can slow tumor growth and enhance treatment efficacy. The study aims to test RAGE inhibition as a multifaceted strategy to attack the tumor on multiple fronts. If successful, this could pave the way for more effective combination therapies for glioblastoma patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If this approach works, patients with glioblastoma could experience better responses to immunotherapy and potentially longer survival.
How similar studies have gone: Initial preclinical data suggest that targeting RAGE can improve immunotherapy efficacy, with encouraging results in glioma models, but human data are still forthcoming.
Where this research is happening
-
Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope
Duarte, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Badie, Behnam — Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope
- Study coordinator: Badie, Behnam
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Innate immune memory to help glioblastoma therapy
A Duke team is testing a weakened poliovirus treatment that could boost the body's immune attack on glioblastoma in patients who have the tumor.
-
Augmenting immunotherapy effects in glioma patients
A trial aims to see if adding DFMO to pembrolizumab can boost immune response and help people with grade 4 astrocytomas.
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Boosting immune therapy for glioblastoma by controlling tumor inflammation
This project will try blocking the RAGE protein to help immune treatments work better for people with glioblastoma.
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Enhancing treatment for glioblastoma by targeting tumor inflammation
This study is looking at a new way to make immunotherapy work better for people with glioblastoma, a tough type of brain cancer, by blocking a specific receptor that helps the tumor grow, and patients may have the chance to participate in trials testing this promising approach.
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Investigating how glioma tumors respond to immunotherapy
This study is looking at why some people with glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, benefit from immunotherapy while others don’t, by examining tumor samples and patient information to find clues that could help improve treatment for everyone.
-
Boosting immune response to fight cancer
This study is exploring a new way to help your immune system better fight cancer by tweaking certain cells in your body, and it aims to improve treatment for people with advanced cancer.
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.