NorthWest Biotherapeutics Inc (NWBO)

[Dr Bala]

Management of Glioblastoma, Present and Future
Nancy Ann Oberheim Bush[1], Shawn L. Hervey-Jumper[1], Mitchel S. Berger[2]
From the [1]Division of Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurological Surgery and [2]Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
World Neurosurgery, Volume 131, November 2019, Pages 328-338

Several vaccine strategies have been attempted, and one that holds promise is DCVax-L, which is a strategy that harnesses a patient's own dendritic cells that have been pulsed with proteins extracted from their own brain tumor from specimens retrieved from resection. The patient's dendritic cells are then reintroduced after they are able to stimulate an antitumor immune response. A phase 3 trial evaluated DCVax in newly diagnosed patients in conjunction with TMZ versus placebo, but allowed for crossover at time of recurrence; preliminary results show promise, but the crossover design makes interpretation challenging and further interpretation as the data mature is vital to assess the efficacy of this approach.