Aggressive tumors require relentless research, which is why Ohio State brain cancer specialists work every day to break new ground in glioblastoma treatment. Glioblastomas are the most common type of Grade IV glioma — a group of tumors that originate in the brain. Glioblastomas typically spread rapidly and present further challenges for doctors because surgery alone is not enough to cure patients. “The five-year survival for glioblastoma is seven percent, and the median overall survival is 12 to 18 months,” says the OSUCCC – James’ Monica Venere, PhD. “These are extremely aggressive tumors.” Because of this, Venere and her colleagues study the makeup of glioblastomas with the goal of finding new avenues of treatment. “We’re interested in finding the targets that drive the proliferation of these cells or their resistance to radiotherapy, and then manipulate this to increase the ability of radiotherapy to kill them, or to make it so they no longer divide,” says Venere, a member of the OSUCCC – James Cancer Biology Program and an assistant professor of radiation oncology. Venere provides more details about the challenges glioblastomas — and why there’s hope for better treatments in the future — on our Cancer-Free World Podcast. Listen via the video player above, or on SoundCloud. Among the areas of interest for Venere is mitosis, the final step in the division of cells from one to two. “There are very strict rules that cells can not break, or they will die in tumors — they bend those rules,” Venere says of glioblastoma cells. “We’re interested in how we can put them in a state where they bend the rules to the point where now they die.” Learn more about glioblastomas and other gliomas. One of the targets that Venere and the members of her lab have identified is KIF11, which is expressed at a high rate in glioblastomas. “There is an indication the cancer cell is more dependent [on the KIF11],” she says, adding that the next step is to target this protein “and see if we can get a higher cell kill.” Collaboration within her lab, and with other great scientists at the OSUCCC – James, will be a crucial component of continued improvement of glioblastoma treatment. “It will take multiple approaches to move forward,” Venere says. “It won’t be a single drug — we have to be creative.” Learn more about brain cancer, including risks, symptoms and treatment options at Ohio State.