Yes I can, can, CAN

In a new Science Translational Medicine paper, members of the White and Cima Labs demonstrate that serial sampling of glioblastoma is possible, offering an alternative to MRI for treatment response evaluation and a new way to gain insight into tumor progression and therapeutic opportunities. The papers authors also include Robert A. Swanson (1969) Biotechnology Center research staff Stuart Levine, director of the Genomics Facility, and Charlie Whittaker, director of the Barbara K. Ostrom (1978) Bioinformatics Facility.

Combining longitudinal tumor biopsy collection and multiomic analyses for patients participating in clinical trials of an immunotherapy called CAN-3110, the researchers found evidence of therapeutic effects in response to treatment. These included reshaping of the tumor microenvironment, expansion of T cell responses, and expression of certain immune signaling molecules. Biological features and details such as these could not be observed using MRI, which is traditionally the only method used for longitudinal monitoring of glioblastoma. Moreover, the researchers’ serial multimodal analyses provided evidence of therapeutic responses to CAN-3110 despite MRI scans indicating progression. Outcomes from the study both suggest a potential therapeutic benefit for CAN-3110, a novel type of immunotherapy, and demonstrate the feasibility of longitudinal tumor sampling in glioblastoma. 

This study builds on work published earlier this year in Nature Communications by members of the group, which integrated a similar set of analytic tools and methods to show, that standard glioblastoma biopsies contain a wealth of untapped data regarding this tumor type, its disease biology, and potential therapeutic response.