Key Points
- The Journal of Neuro-Oncology (JNO) has published an article that provides key updates from the Foundation’s 2021 glioblastoma (GBM) workshop.
- There are now three focused ultrasound devices being used in 13 GBM clinical trials at 20 centers around the world.
- The JNO publishes basic, applied, and clinical investigations related to cancer and the central nervous system.
The Journal of Neuro-Oncology (JNO) recently published an article that provides the key preclinical and clinical updates from the Foundation’s 2021 glioblastoma (GBM) workshop. Along with describing the current state of field for this indication, “Focused Ultrasound for the Treatment of Glioblastoma” outlines potential next steps to further research and identifies key references for the larger brain cancer community.
“Everyone who is working to cure brain tumors reads JNO,” said Suzanne LeBlang, MD, the Foundation’s Director of Clinical Relationships and the article’s senior author. “When we educate clinicians and researchers on how fast focused ultrasound is impacting the treatment of GBM, it accelerates the entire field.”
Importantly, focused ultrasound researchers are taking a multi-pronged approach to fight GBM. They are currently using five different mechanisms of action to reach and destroy these devastating tumors. These mechanisms were fully discussed at the workshop and in the article, and they include thermal and nonthermal tumor ablation, blood–brain barrier (BBB) opening, immunotherapy, and sonodynamic therapy.
There are now three focused ultrasound devices being used in 13 clinical trials at 20 centers around the world. The comprehensive list of clinical trials for patients with GBM is described in the article; it shows the breadth and variety of options that are providing hope for patients.
Workshop participants contributed to the development of a new roadmap to address knowledge gaps and reduce the time for focused ultrasound to potentially add to the treatment armamentarium and reach clinical adoption. Priority projects include:
- Determining a well-defined algorithm to confirm and quantify drug delivery after BBB opening procedures
- Identifying a focused ultrasound-specific microbubble for BBB opening
- Exploring the role of focused ultrasound for enhancing liquid biopsy in glioblastoma diagnosis and treatment monitoring
- Making device modifications that better support clinical needs
The JNO, with an Impact Factor of 4.13, is a multi-disciplinary journal that publishes basic, applied, and clinical investigations related to cancer and the central nervous system. It provides a forum for communication among neurologists, neurosurgeons, radiotherapists, medical oncologists, neuropathologists, neuroradiologists, and laboratory-based oncologists conducting relevant research.