The Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) Annual Meeting is the world’s largest neuro-oncology conference.
SNO regularly attracts over 2600 researchers and clinician-scientists from over 40 countries. In October 2022, representatives from Cure Brain Cancer Foundation travelled to Tampa, Florida to learn about the latest in brain cancer research.
Here is a recap of what we learnt from the latest research and clinical trials in the world of neuro-oncology.
Inhibitor drugs work to shrink gliomas in children
Phase 1 trials with selumetenib resulted in significant shrinkage in tumour size, with about 70% of those treated having stable disease for 2 years without progression of the tumour. Phase 2 trials with binimetenib were promising in treating pediatric low-grade gliomas, with close to half of the children responding to the drug and showing a reduction in tumour size.
In another study, children that had either a recurrent malignant brain tumour or newly diagnosed diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) were treated with an inhibitor drug known as indoximod. This drug works by reversing the process that allows tumours to evade an immune response. The study also looked at combined effects: indoximod with temozolomide – and indoximod with radiation therapy.
Researchers found that the drug was well tolerated and did not affect the ability to deliver chemotherapy or radiation therapy. It was concluded that the use of indoximod should be further evaluated, particularly in conjunction with other forms of treatment for pediatric brain tumours.
Immunotherapy to combat cancer
Immunotherapy essentially harnesses the body’s immune system to attack cancer cells. This was demonstrated through the introduction of SL-701, a novel form of immunotherapy, which was designed to attack certain molecules associated with glioblastoma (GBM); and SurVaxM, a vaccine that also triggers an immune response to GBM. Both have shown promising results and will have more clinical trials take place in the near future.
Liquid Biopsy as the new way of diagnosis
| Cancer Diagnosis | Futuristic Cancer Diagnosis |
|---|---|
Biopsy – highly invasisve and potentially dangerous procedure | Liquid biopsy – non-invasive and innovative method |
Surgically performed | The method involves detecting material shed by the tmour into biofluids such as blood or spinal fluid |
At SNO 2022 a study on liquid biopsy showed markers can be used to diagnose brain tumours and show how the tumour evolves with high accuracy. A significant step in the right direction towards understanding the tumour microenvironment.
Crossing the blood-brain barrier
For a drug to be effective, it needs to be able to cross what is known as the blood-brain barrier. The blood-brain barrier is a natural filter between the blood and the brain. Unfortunately, this also means that in attempting to treat brain tumours, many drugs will not pass.
In an exciting study, researchers were able to temporarily open the blood-brain barrier and effectively deliver chemotherapy drugs to target glioblastoma.
The device SonoCloud-9 was planted into the skull, to deliver ultrasound to the brain, which, in conjunction with the injection of microbubbles, would result in molecular processes that will temporarily open the blood-brain barrier and allow the penetration of chemotherapy drugs. It was shown that this method is effective in delivering chemotherapy drugs into large regions of the brain and that this procedure can be performed repeatedly and safely.
Opportunities to collaborate and learn about new treatments
At Cure Brain Cancer Foundation, our goal is to bring more treatments to Australians impacted by brain cancer and ultimately find a cure. At SNO 22 we had the opportunity to meet and work closely with colleagues at the Global Coalition for Adaptive Research to ensure the timely expansion of the GBM AGILE trials to Australia. We also met with other peer organisations working in the same space to collaborate and work together. Most of all, SNO 22 allowed us to share with others, our work, in the field of brain cancer research and raise awareness.
In 2023, our focus is to support research and researchers. Through creative, transnational collaborations involving non-profit organizations and other entities, CBCF will continue to serve as an important catalyst to bring about change and ensure that the future remains promising for patients and families affected by brain cancer.
