Background: High-grade gliomas (HGG) have a poor prognosis despite aggressive treatment. Severe, persistent lymphopenia occurring in HGG patients after concurrent chemoradiation is associated with worse survival. NT-I7, a long-acting interleukin-7 analog, has been shown to increase CD4 and CD8 counts in healthy, septic, and HIV-positive adults.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Brain metastases (BM) cause substantial morbidity and mortality in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Updated epidemiological studies are crucial to guide screening and treatment strategies. We investigated the prevalence, timing, and outcomes of BM in patients diagnosed with NSCLC utilizing the TrinetX Oncology database.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The blood-brain barrier (BBB) severely limits the delivery of therapeutic agents to the brain. Regadenoson, a Food and Drug Administration-approved adenosine A2 agonist, transiently increases BBB permeability in rodents to a 70 kDa dextran. This multi-institutional, NIH-funded study examined regadenoson's ability to transiently alter BBB permeability in patients with gliomas.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: For newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM), combination of surgical upfront immunotherapy with aglatimagene besadenovec (CAN-2409), followed by chemoradiation and then adjuvant nivolumab has not been tested. The aim of this study was to test the safety of this regimen and determine metrics of immune activation that may correlate with clinical outcomes.
Methods: 41 patients with suspected newly diagnosed GBM by imaging were enrolled in this multi-institutional, open label, phase 1b clinical trial before surgical resection.
Background: Brain metastases (BM) portend increased morbidity and mortality in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). We aimed to characterize the prevalence, timing, treatment patterns, and survival outcomes of BM associated with SCLC over the past decade.
Methods: Data from 4014 patients with histologically confirmed SCLC were extracted from the TriNetX Oncology database.
Inhibitors of murine double minute homolog 2 (MDM2) represent a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of wild-type glioblastomas (GBMs), reactivating p53 signaling to induce cancer cell death. We conducted a surgical window-of-opportunity trial (NCT03107780) of the MDM2 inhibitor navtemadlin (KRT-232) in 21 patients with wild-type recurrent GBM to determine achievable drug concentrations within tumor tissues and biological mechanisms of response and resistance. Participants received navtemadlin at 120 mg ( = 10) or 240 mg ( = 11) for 2 days before surgical resection and after surgery until progression or unacceptable toxicity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Adavosertib is an oral small-molecule inhibitor of Wee1. The Adult Brain Tumor Consortium conducted a phase I study evaluating adavosertib in combination with radiation (RT) and temozolomide (TMZ) in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM), as well as a surgical window-of-opportunity study in recurrent GBM.
Patients And Methods: The MTD of adavosertib was determined in adult patients with newly diagnosed GBM using a standard 3+3 design in two separate cohorts: with concurrent RT/TMZ or with adjuvant TMZ.
H3K27M-mutant diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs) express high levels of the disialoganglioside GD2 (ref. ). Chimeric antigen receptor-modified T cells targeting GD2 (GD2-CART) eradicated DMGs in preclinical models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: We investigated the effectiveness of navtemadlin (KRT-232) in treating recurrent glioblastoma. A surgical window-of-opportunity trial ( NCT03107780 ) was conducted on 21 patients to determine achievable drug concentrations within tumor tissue and examine mechanisms of response and resistance. Both 120 mg and 240 mg daily dosing achieved a pharmacodynamic impact.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: When arsenic trioxide (ATO) was combined with radiation for treatment of transplanted murine gliomas in the brain, tumor response improved with disrupted tumor blood flow and survival was significantly prolonged.
Methods: Total of 31 patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma were accrued to a multi-institutional, NCI-funded, phase I study to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of ATO administered with radiation. Secondary objectives were survival and pharmacodynamic changes in perfusion on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
H3K27M-mutant diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs) express high levels of the GD2 disialoganglioside and chimeric antigen receptor modified T-cells targeting GD2 (GD2-CART) eradicate DMGs in preclinical models. Arm A of the Phase I trial NCT04196413 administered one IV dose of autologous GD2-CART to patients with H3K27M-mutant pontine (DIPG) or spinal (sDMG) diffuse midline glioma at two dose levels (DL1=1e6/kg; DL2=3e6/kg) following lymphodepleting (LD) chemotherapy. Patients with clinical or imaging benefit were eligible for subsequent intracerebroventricular (ICV) GD2-CART infusions (10-30e6 GD2-CART).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecurrent high-grade gliomas (rHGGs) have a dismal prognosis, where the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of IV terameprocol (5 days/month), a transcriptional inhibitor of specificity protein 1 (Sp1)-regulated proteins, is 1,700 mg/day with median area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) of 31.3 μg∗h/mL. Given potentially increased efficacy with sustained systemic exposure and challenging logistics of daily IV therapy, here we investigate oral terameprocol for rHGGs in a multicenter, phase 1 trial (GATOR).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Patients with glioblastoma (GBM) have a dismal prognosis. Although the DNA alkylating agent temozolomide (TMZ) is the mainstay of chemotherapy, therapeutic resistance rapidly develops in patients. Base excision repair inhibitor TRC102 (methoxyamine) reverses TMZ resistance in preclinical glioma models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Neurosurg Anesthesiol
April 2025
Background: Postoperative stroke is a potentially devastating neurological complication following surgical revascularization for Moyamoya disease. We sought to evaluate whether peri-operative hemoglobin levels were associated with the risk of early post-operative stroke following revascularization surgery in adult Moyamoya patients.
Methods: Adult patients having revascularization surgeries for Moyamoya disease between 1999-2022 were identified through single institutional retrospective review.
Adult medulloblastomas (MB) are rare, and optimal post-craniospinal irradiation (CSI) chemotherapy is not yet defined. We investigated hematological toxicity in patients treated with platinum-etoposide (EP) post-CSI. Retrospective, single-institution study to determine hematological toxicity in adult MB patients treated with EP (1995-2022).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Although fewer than 5% of high-grade gliomas (HGG) are BRAF-V600E mutated, these tumors are notable as BRAF-targeted therapy shows efficacy for some populations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate response to the combination of encorafenib with binimetinib in adults with recurrent BRAF-V600-mutated HGG.
Patients And Methods: In this phase 2, open-label, Adult Brain Tumor Consortium (ABTC) trial (NCT03973918), encorafenib and binimetinib were administered at their FDA-approved doses continuously in 28-day cycles.
Purpose: AT-101 is an oral bcl-2 family protein inhibitor (Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, Mcl-1, Bcl-W) and potent inducer of proapoptotic proteins. A prior study of the parent compound, racemic gossypol, demonstrated objective and durable responses in patients with malignant glioma. AT-101 has demonstrated synergy with radiation in animal models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Careful hematologic management is required in surgical patients with traumatic acute subdural hematoma (aSDH) taking antithrombotic medications. We sought to compare outcomes between patients with aSDH taking antithrombotic medications at admission who received antithrombotic reversal with patients with aSDH not taking antithrombotics.
Methods: Retrospective review identified patients with traumatic aSDH requiring surgical evacuation.
Purpose: A multi-site Phase I trial was conducted to determine the safety, maximum tolerated dose, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of Veliparib, a Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase [PARP] enzyme inhibitor, when administered with temozolomide (TMZ) alone and then with temozolomide and radiation (RT) in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma.
Methods: Given the potential for myelosuppression when a PARP inhibitor is combined with chemotherapy, the first 6 patients accrued were given Veliparib 10 mg bid and TMZ 75 mg/m2/d daily for six weeks. If this was well tolerated, the same doses of Veliparib and TMZ would be tested along with standard radiation with plans to dose escalate the Veliparib in subsequent patient cohorts.
Purpose: A multi-site Phase I trial was conducted to determine the safety, maximum tolerated dose, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of Veliparib, a Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase [PARP] enzyme inhibitor, when administered with temozolomide (TMZ) alone and then with temozolomide and radiation (RT) in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma.
Methods: Given the potential for myelosuppression when a PARP inhibitor is combined with chemotherapy, the first 6 patients accrued were given Veliparib 10 mg bid and TMZ 75 mg/m2/d daily for six weeks. If this was well tolerated, the same doses of Veliparib and TMZ would be tested along with standard radiation with plans to dose escalate the Veliparib in subsequent patient cohorts.