Low‑dose doxorubicin plus brief ultrasound opening of the blood‑brain barrier to boost personalized immunotherapy for glioblastoma
Leveraging doxorubicin immune-modulation, blood-brain barrier opening, and personalized medicine for effective immunotherapy in glioblastoma. A mechanistic approach and pharmacokinetic trial.
This project tests whether giving low‑dose chemotherapy together with a short ultrasound‑based opening of the blood‑brain barrier can help a new anti‑PD1 immunotherapy work better for people with glioblastoma.
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 ID | NIH-11173592 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would receive low doses of doxorubicin intended to make tumor cells more visible to your immune system, followed by treatment with Balstilimab, a type of anti‑PD1 immunotherapy. A small implantable ultrasound device (SonoCloud‑9) plus intravenous microbubbles would be used briefly to open the blood‑brain barrier so the antibody and chemotherapy can reach tumor tissue. Doctors would take targeted biopsies of tumor areas and measure drug levels in the tissue to see where the treatments reach. The team will also test tumor samples for molecular markers such as MAPK/pERK to try to predict who benefits and will refine the timing of doxorubicin and immunotherapy based on lab models.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with glioblastoma who are medically eligible for an implantable ultrasound device, intravenous chemotherapy and anti‑PD1 treatment would be the best candidates.
Not a fit: People with other types of brain tumors, those who cannot undergo the minor surgery to place the implant, or those with contraindications to doxorubicin or anti‑PD1 drugs are unlikely to benefit from this protocol.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could make anti‑PD1 immunotherapy effective for some people with glioblastoma and improve tumor control.
How similar studies have performed: Anti‑PD1 drugs alone have largely failed in glioblastoma, but preclinical and early clinical work combining low‑dose chemotherapy or transient BBB opening shows promise, making this combined, biomarker‑driven approach novel though grounded in prior findings.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sonabend, Adam M — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Sonabend, Adam M
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.