These specialists, sub-specialists and super sub-specialists are leading research in high-tech, state-of-the-art laboratories not available anywhere else in central Ohio (and one of only a handful in the country), transforming the way CNS malignancies are detected, treated and managed.
Neuro-oncology physician researchers work closely with translational researchers and basic scientists who specialize in CNS malignancies to rapidly apply research results to patient care. The mission: to translate research findings quickly and effectively into treatments that will improve outcomes and quality of life for patients with CNS malignancies.
Not limited in scope, these physician-researchers have extensive experience investigating, understanding and treating primary brain tumors (those that begin in the brain), secondary brain tumors (those that spread from another part of the body to the brain) and neurological complications resulting from other cancers.
Clinical Trials
The OSUCCC – James is one of four cancer centers involved in testing a new “nanomedicine” agent — known as BXQ-350 while in testing — for treating advanced solid tumors, including difficult-to- treat malignant brain tumors. This was a first-in-human, first-in-class study designed to determine the efficacy of this novel therapeutic agent and its propensity to enter the body and brain, target cells in the tumor mass and induce cell death. The CNS Malignancy Research Program team experts worked with two other institutions to develop the entire protocol, from running the clinical trial to interpreting data.
Collaborations
At the OSUCCC – James, the CNS Malignancy Research Program experts work collaboratively, reaching across medical disciplines, educational departments and health care institutions, to create and conduct meaningful research that will improve the lives of patients diagnosed with brain and spinal cord tumors. Collaborations include:
- Dardinger Neuro-Oncology Center at Ohio State
- Ohio State’s Minimally Invasive Surgery Program/Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Center for Clinical and Translational Science at Ohio State
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health
- Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus
The multidisciplinary team of neuro-oncologists, radiation oncologists, neurosurgeons, neuropathologists, genetic scientists and more work tirelessly to find new avenues of support and more effective treatments for patients with CNS malignancies.
Research Accomplishments That Shape Current Standards of Care
At the OSUCCC – James, the CNS Malignancies Clinical Research Program team of investigators has shaped the current standards in the CNS field through their leadership positions in international clinical trials and national research organizations, such as the NRG Brain Tumor Translational Research Group, the International Society of Radiation Neurobiology and the American College of Radiation Oncology to name a few.
These principal investigators and research scientists use the information from clinical studies to guide them to the most leading-edge standard of care therapies for patients suffering from CNS malignancies. Large randomized trials provide the highest levels of data analysis, and this data analysis enables investigators to propel the most current medical innovations and information from the bench directly to the bedside.
Equally as important, these pioneering research scientists are at the forefront of discovery, often looking at tumors in innovative and non-traditional ways to determine the unique makeup of each patient’s tumor, the metabolism of the cancer cell and the mechanisms these cells use to escape treatment. By understanding cancer at the biologic and genetic levels, unlocking the molecular code of a patient’s disease and pinpointing what makes each cancer grow, these experts aim to develop better, even more targeted treatments designed to stop that growth.
Recognized for their ongoing dedication to in-depth scientific research and innovative treatments for CNS malignancies, this OSUCCC – James’ research program team is supported by numerous grants, both private and public, but particularly from the National Institutes of Health. One example: CNS malignancy investigators recently received a five-year-grant of nearly $2.83 million from The National Cancer Institute (NCI) to conduct a clinical trial to assess a potential new treatment for patients with glioblastoma, a lethal primary brain tumor with limited treatment options.