Newswise — In an effort to combat one of the most lethal forms of pediatric brain cancer, researchers at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center are launching a first-of-its-kind clinical trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a cancer vaccine targeting H3 G34-mutant diffuse hemispheric glioma, a highly aggressive brain tumor that is typically found in adolescents and young adults. This type of brain tumor is primarily characterized by a particular mutation of the H3-3A gene, which encodes an important regulatory component on histone H3. This mutation leads to significant disruptions in RNA processing, with wide-ranging influences on cancer behavior and response to treatment.
The vaccine, developed at UCLA, is designed to target these genetic mutations in these tumors. One of just a few centers in the United States developing advanced immunotherapies for brain cancer, UCLA Health is the only center investigating immunotherapy for this particular type of glioma. “Despite aggressive treatments, this type of brain tumor evades current therapies with shocking efficiency,” said Dr.
Anthony Wang , director of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Program at UCLA Health and the principal investigator of the trial. “These cancers show a host of escape pathways, allowing small populations of cells to survive initial treatment and to adapt. The data from our pre-clinical studies makes us hopeful that an active, targeted cancer vaccine will be able to adapt with the t.
