A world-first human trial set to begin in Brisbane and Melbourne has the potential to be one of the biggest breakthroughs in the treatment of brain cancer, researchers say.
Scientists are confident an antibody created to prolong the lives of people suffering from almost-always fatal Glioblastoma tumors may even offer a cure.
As part of the trial, 20 patients with the recurrent brain tumour will be treated at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and the Austin Hospital in Melbourne with the antibody that specifically targets a cancer protein on the surface of the tumour cells.
QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute’s professor Andrew Boyd discovered that cancer protein, EphA3, more than 20 years ago.
He also developed the antibody that has been shown to specifically target cancer cells which express EphA3.
It has been adapted for human use by American biotech company KaloBios Pharmaceuticals to create the KB004 clinical drug.
A clinical trial of the drug is already underway in leukaemia patients after a successful study.
“One of the things you’d love to see in your career is to discover something that eventually ends up as a therapy,” Dr Boyd said.
“I don’t think we’re quite there yet … but I’m extremely gratified we’ve been able to push this through to this point.
“What we’re really hoping is to see shrinkage of the gliomas and obviously hoping even more to see a really significant impact on the survival of people who have got brain tumour.”
Dr Brett Stringer, who along with Dr Bryan Day lead the research at QIMR Berghofer, said the upcoming Glioblastoma trial would be the first test of the drug against solid tumours, as opposed to blood cancers.
“We expect that it will prolong life,” he said.
“Our hope is always for a cure and everything we do is aimed at developing something along those lines.
“Our hope is for patients … with this new antibody is that it will give them a second chance.
“Something else that will give them some hope of surviving or doing better than the average.”
The Cure Brain Cancer Foundation will provide $500,000 to the study over the next three years.
Life with brain tumours is ‘hell’
Richard Ridge knows all too well how tough life with brain tumours can be.
The 54-year-old Sunshine Coast man was diagnosed more than four years ago.
He initially thought he had a flu and was taken to Maleny Hospital in the Sunshine Coast hinterland before being taken to Nambour Hospital for a head scan.
“I was standing in a room when an A3 sheet was put on the white glass with a light under it. I’d seen enough of television when I looked at it that I knew I was in trouble,” he said.
He was then taken by ambulance to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital – and within days he was in surgery.
He has undergone three open brain surgeries.
“It’s hell,” he said, when asked what it was like living with the tumours.
“It isn’t easy to live with. [You’re] living life with a time bomb in your head.”
Mr Ridge’s latest MRI scan was on Sunday. Today he found out it was still clear.
He said he would have nominated himself for the trials had his tumours returned.