Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive form of brain tumor. Without treatment, most people die within three months of diagnosis. With treatment, that time extends to about a year. Only a handful of glioblastoma victims are able to live longer.
In 1992, a Johns Hopkins postdoc named Albert Wong noticed that glioblastoma cells have a unique protein signature. He designed a vaccine to prime an immune system attack on those cells. It worked in mice, then in people: in early-stage trials, the vaccine more than doubled survival times.
In April, doctors at Stanford University will begin enrolling people in the vaccine’s largest trial to date. People interested in enrolling should contact Dr. Wong.
Brain Tumor Vaccine Developed by Stanford Researcher to Be Tested at 20 Sites Nationally [press release]
