Current Developments and Future Possibilities of Glioblastoma Treatment

Abstract

Glioblastoma is one of the deadliest forms of cancer. It mainly occurs in the brain but can also be found in the spinal cord and is associated with aggressive proliferation and high treatment resistance. Researchers are looking for more effective treatments and ways to improve patient survival times as the prognosis for most patients is only about 14-15 months. The standard of care for glioblastoma currently involves surgery along with temozolomide chemotherapy and radiation therapy, but these treatments are often unable to combat the tumor successfully. Perhaps the most promising field of potential future treatments is immunotherapy, in which treatment is designed to stimulate the immune system to target the tumor. This article wil specifically discuss two types of immunotherapies: vaccine immunotherapy, in which the patient's immune system is conditioned to fight the tumor through the introduction of tumor specific antigens, and CAR-T cell therapy, in which modified Tcells are introduced into the patient intravenously.