Glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive type of cancerous brain tumor in adults, poses significant treatment challenges despite available options like surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Patients diagnosed with glioblastoma typically have a life expectancy of only 12–18 months post-diagnosis.
Researchers at IIT Delhi have given such patients a ray of hope with their study, published in the journal Biomaterials, possibly discovering a novel treatment to cure brain tumors. Working under the guidance of Dr Jayanta Bhattacharyya, Associate Professor, Centre for Biomedical Engineering, IIT Delhi, a PhD student named Vidit Gaur conducted the study.
Vidit developed a novel nanoformulation, namely Immunosomes, which combines a CD40 agonist antibody with the small molecule inhibitor RRX-001. In this study, mice bearing glioblastoma treated with Immunosomes showed complete eradication of the tumor and remained tumor-free for at least three months. This treatment generated a strong host immune response to fight against brain cancer.