Targeting the DC-T cell axis to treat glioblastoma

Aggressive primary brain tumours such as glioblastoma (GBM) and diffuse midline glioma (DMG), have extremely poor 5-year survival rates and limited treatment options. CAR-T cells (chimeric antigen receptor T cells) are a form of cell therapy, sometimes described as a ‘living drug’. 

CAR-T cells are made from the white blood cells of a patient but are manipulated in the lab to give them the ability to track down and kill cancer cells in the body. They are a transformative new immunotherapy that has shown great promise in the treatment of B-cell leukemias. 

This project aims to harness the power of the immune system to treat aggressive primary brain cancers. The team have recently received approval to conduct immune therapy clinical trials for these patients. In this project we will use patient samples to better understand how the immune system behaves within brain tumours, and then identify new pathways to increase the likelihood of success for therapy. 

*Learn about Cancer Australia's Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme.