As a partner of NCI-Connect, Brains for the Cure provides an update on three active trials at the National Cancer Institute. Any decision regarding treatment should be communicated with a patient’s treatment team first. Patients will need a referral from their treating doctor to be considered for one of these trials.

Marizomib for Recurrent Low-Grade and Anaplastic Supratentorial, Infratentorial, and Spinal Cord Ependymoma

Ependymomas are rare primary brain tumors arising from radial glial stem cells. They comprise 5.2% of all pediatric primary brain tumors and 1.9% of all adult primary brain tumors.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of treatment with marizomib in RELA-fusion recurrent ependymoma and non RELA-fusion recurrent ependymoma as measured by progression-free survival at 6 months (PFS6).

Learn more here.

Nivolumab in Patients With IDH-Mutant Gliomas With and Without Hypermutator Phenotype

Glioma is the most common malignant brain tumor. Genes coding for isocitrate dehydrogenases 1and 2 (IDH1 and IDH2), metabolic enzymes, are frequently mutated in gliomas, particularly lower-grade gliomas (LGGs). IDH1/2 mutation causes a unique tumor biology, including the accumulation of 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG), an oncometabolite, which in turn causes genomic hypermethylation and tumorigenesis.

The objective of this study is to determine the 6-month progression free survival rate in IDH-mutant gliomas patients with and without HMP in responses to nivolumab treatment.

Learn more here.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Nivolumab in People With Select Rare CNS Cancers

There are more than 130 identified primary tumors of the central nervous system (CNS). Most have an annual incidence of less than 1000 in the United States.

The objective of this study is to determine the efficacy of nivolumab in a variety of recurrent, refractory primary central nervous system tumors as measured by disease control rate (confirmed CR/PR or durable SD for at least 6 months).

Learn more here.