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Updated: Jun 19, 2026
Creating Anatomically Accurate and Reproducible Intracranial Xenografts of Human Brain Tumors
Published on: September 24, 2014
Clinical trials for glioblastoma multiforme using adenoviral vectors
Thomas Wirth1, Haritha Samaranayake, Jere Pikkarainen
1AI Virtanen Institute, Department of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland. thomas.wirth@uku.fi
Abstract:
Gliomas are among the most lethal malignancies, and constitute more than 70% of all brain tumors. Standard therapy includes surgical resection followed by adjuvant radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Malignant gliomas are considered to be non-curable, and the overall prognosis of treatment success is poor with a mean survival of 14.6 months after diagnosis and a 5-year survival rate of 9.8%. The diffusely infiltrating property of the tumors makes total surgical excision often impossible, leading to eventual tumor recurrence. The maximum radiation dose that can be administered to the brain is limited to approximately 60 Gy, which is usually not sufficient to completely eradicate the tumor given that some brain tumors are resistant to radiotherapy. The limitations and short-comings of the available treatment options have provided the impetus to test novel therapy modalities to improve quality of life and increase survival of patients with gliomas.
Insights
Malignant gliomas are aggressive brain tumors with poor survival rates. Current treatments like surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy are limited, driving the need for novel therapeutic approaches to improve patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Cancer research
- Tumor biology
Background:
- Gliomas represent over 70% of primary brain tumors and are highly lethal.
- Standard treatments (surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy) offer limited efficacy due to tumor infiltration and radioresistance.
- Poor prognosis is characterized by a median survival of 14.6 months and a 5-year survival rate below 10%.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address the limitations of current glioma treatments.
- To explore novel therapeutic strategies for improving patient survival and quality of life.
- To overcome challenges posed by tumor recurrence and treatment resistance.
Main Methods:
- This section is not detailed in the provided abstract.
- Further research is needed to outline specific methodologies.
- The abstract focuses on the rationale for new therapies.
Main Results:
- This section is not detailed in the provided abstract.
- The abstract highlights the inadequacy of current treatments.
- Results from novel therapies are pending investigation.
Conclusions:
- Current therapeutic options for malignant gliomas are insufficient.
- There is a critical need for innovative treatment modalities.
- Improving survival and quality of life for glioma patients remains a significant challenge.
