Overcoming Immune Blockade Resistance in Glioblastoma with a Patient-Derived Stem Cell Therapy
Official title: Overcoming Immune Checkpoint Blockade Resistance in Glioblastoma with a Novel Stem Cell Biotherapeutic
Funded at Ioncologi INC · NIH-11457448 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new therapy using your own stem cells grown outside your body is being explored to help people with glioblastoma who no longer respond to current immune therapies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ioncologi INC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,006,593 |
| NIH project number | 4R42CA302331-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11457448 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with relapsed or refractory glioblastoma who have exhausted standard therapies and could be eligible for a neoadjuvant, biomarker-driven Phase I trial.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose disease progresses rapidly or who cannot tolerate autologous stem-cell based therapy may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to develop a patient’s own immune-modifying stem cells (iOi7) and test them in a careful, staged plan to see if they are safe and feasible for treating relapsed or refractory glioblastoma. Researchers will optimize how the stem cells are produced in a closed, scalable system and verify the cells’ characteristics to ensure quality. In a subsequent early clinical trial, patients would receive the therapy before standard treatment and researchers would monitor safety and any signs of benefit, guided by biomarkers. The work builds on existing IND-approved manufacturing methods and seeks to move toward a scalable, clinically-ready process.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with glioblastoma could gain a new, personalized treatment option that modulates the immune environment of tumors.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical data suggest that PD-1 blockade resistance can be reversed with this stem-cell therapy by reprogramming the tumor immune environment.
Where this research is happening
-
Ioncologi INC
Gainesville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rodriguez, Edgardo — Ioncologi INC
- Study coordinator: Rodriguez, Edgardo
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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.