Editorial and Research News in the Last Two-Months of 2023
This is the twenty-third article of the project which aims to periodically (every two months) collect the latest research on possible treatments for glioblastoma multiforme.
I was rereading last year’s editorial article (Glioblastoma.IT 2022). The candle in memory of Emanuele is still always lit. This candle therefore continues to be a symbol, a symbol of hope for all glioblastoma multiforme patients and their loved ones.
I was thinking about what we did during 2023. The first thing I noticed was that at the end of 2022 the number of users of the site, as also reported in the editorial of that time, was 196,000. Today we are at over 300,000, still growing exponential. This year we managed to organize 6 video conferences which have been followed on average by 600 people both live and deferred with peaks of over 1500 people. Gliobot, the chatbot based on artificial intelligence is working well and is widely used thanks also to the possibility of obtaining the list of active clinical trials and specialized centers, but not only. If you haven’t done it yet, try using it. It is constantly updated. Glioblastoma Navigator has gathered several users but not enough and is currently being revised to improve its usability. It is not excluded that Gliobot and Glioblastoma Navigator will eventually become a single system or rather that Gliobot will be included as a Glioblastoma Navigator service. For RMN.ai, however, we are still waiting for funding to make it grow and usable by everyone. This will also be included as one of the Glioblastoma Navigator services but at the moment it will only be accessible to specialists because it requires understanding the different sequences used in MRIs. I sincerely thank all the volunteers and also all the patients and their caregivers for their continued encouragement.
Below is the news that we considered most significant. There aren’t many to be honest. As with the previous articles in the series, each news will be preceded by the original title with a link to the source and followed by a short comment. The criterion with which the news is chosen is always to generally include only news relating to research in the clinical phase, unless the potential of the research for the treatment of glioblastoma is truly remarkable.
Ganciclovir as a potential treatment for glioma: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Recently ganciclovir, an antiviral drug against cytomegalovirus (CMV), which many believe is one of the possible causes of glioblastoma or at least contributes to its growth, has been proposed as a possible treatment for glioblastoma. However, clinical trials have shown conflicting results. To evaluate the effectiveness of ganciclovir in the treatment of glioma, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted, examining studies up to March 30, 2023. Five randomized controlled trials with 606 patients with high-grade glioma were included. This is also a way of doing research, analyzing and combining the results of different studies. The results of this analysis showed that ganciclovir improved 2- and 4-year survival rates, as well as overall survival, compared to the control group. This meta-analysis indicates that ganciclovir significantly improves the prognosis of patients with glioma.
Northwest Biotherapeutics Announces That A Marketing Authorization Application Has Been Submitted To The UK MHRA For DCVax®-L For Glioblastoma
Northwest Biotherapeutics has submitted an application to the UK MHRA for authorization to use DCVax®-L for newly diagnosed and recurrent glioblastoma (GBM). This application, which comes after over 20 years of research and follows the similar one submitted to the FDA in the US, required the rapid review procedure, i.e. in 150 days. NW Bio’s international Phase III trial demonstrated that DCVax-L significantly extended median survival in both newly diagnosed and recurrent GBM patients compared to external controls. The trial also demonstrated a more than doubled percentage of patients surviving 5 years in newly diagnosed cases and 3 years in cases of recurrence. The therapy involves the sampling of a few grams of fresh tumor and this is probably the only aspect that makes its application complex.
That’s all for this research news issue. Good luck and a sincere wish to all those who are fighting against glioblastoma and to their loved ones!
