Personalized B‑cell vaccine for newly diagnosed malignant brain tumors
Development of a B Cell Based Vaccine for the Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Malignant Gliomas
A vaccine made from each patient's own B cells aims to boost the immune system to attack newly diagnosed malignant gliomas (a type of brain tumor).
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11187079 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would have immune cells taken from your blood so scientists can activate and expand your own B cells and CD8 T cells in the lab to make a personalized vaccine. The team will perform safety and manufacturing tests required by the FDA before offering the vaccine to patients. In the clinical part, the vaccine may be given alongside standard treatments such as radiation and drugs that block PD‑L1 while doctors monitor your immune responses and tumor status. The approach is designed to trigger both antibody and T‑cell attacks against the tumor.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults with newly diagnosed malignant gliomas (including glioblastoma) who can provide immune cells and are fit to begin treatment shortly after diagnosis.
Not a fit: Patients with recurrent disease, severe immune suppression, inability to provide autologous cells, or rapidly progressive tumors that prevent timely cell collection may not benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this personalized cell therapy could produce stronger and longer‑lasting immune control of glioma, potentially improving tumor clearance and survival.
How similar studies have performed: This B‑cell vaccine approach is novel for glioma; while immunotherapies like checkpoint inhibitors helped other cancers, vaccines for GBM have been mostly experimental with limited clinical success, though strong preclinical results motivated this trial.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- Northwestern University — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lee Chang, Catalina — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Lee Chang, Catalina
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.