A promising non-invasive treatment to effectively and safely destroy deadly brain tumors is being tested on human patients for the first time ever at the at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix.

This new treatment has shown to be incredibly effective in treating aggressive brain tumors in animals, said Dr. Shwetal Mehta, a molecular neuro-oncologist and the chief operating officer and deputy director of the center. 

Now, medical researchers are testing it on 30 human patients who have recurrent glioblastoma, the brain cancer that took the life of Arizona Senator John McCain in 2018. 

“If this therapy works, it’s going to be amazing for the brain tumor  community because it doesn’t require surgery, it’s non-invasive treatment and is specific for killing tumor cells so it’s everything that we would want for patients at the center,â€� Mehta said.  

Instead of a scalpel, surgeons use a keyboard and a mouse. There is little to no risk of infection.

New drug-device combination offers hope for patients

The Ivy Brain Tumor Center is partnering with two companies whose separate therapies proved successful when combined together. The  combination drug-device therapy, called sonodynamic therapy (SDT), is able to target deeper tissues like a brain tumor. 

The drug, aminolevulinic acid (ALA), is taken up selectively by tumor cells and then is activated by ultrasound, effectively targeting only tumor cells for destruction.

“For some reason tumors love this drug and they light up under UV lights,â€� Mehta said. 

The two companies involved in the collaboration and testing are:

SonALAsense, headquartered in Berkeley, California, the develops and commercializes drug-device systems in photodynamic therapy and new drug therapies for glioblastoma multiforme and other deadly cancers. 

InSightec, headquartered in Haifa, Israel, is a global medical technology whose device performs incisionless surgery using focused ultrasound that is guided by MRI. The ultrasound is able to safely penetrate the blood-brain barrier, which has been one of the most significant challenges in the mission to treat brain cancer.

Therapy could turn lethal cancer into manageable disease

In animal trials, the treatment quickly killed brain tumor cells and at the same time triggered programmed tumor cell death within 48 hours. If the initial testing is shown to be safe and effective, it will be expanded to larger groups of patients. 

“This novel modality has the potential to change the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients and their families, worldwide,� said Dr. Nader Sanai, director and chief scientific officer of the Ivy Brain Tumor Center.

Reaching across the globe to collaborate on rare diseases

The partnership between the center and the two companies illustrates the importance of global relationships in conquering rare diseases, said Dr. Arjun Desai, chief strategic innovation officer at InSightec. 

“Collaboration is key to breaking down the barriers to treatment for diseases such as glioblastoma, where few effective therapeutic options have been brought forward in the past several decades,â€� Desai said. 

Arizona-Israel relationship benefits both 

The partnership also highlights Arizona’s ties with Israel as partners in trade and innovation. 

In November 2019, the Arizona Commerce Authority opened the Arizona-Israeli Trade Office in Tel Aviv to strengthen its trade partnership with Israel as well as collaborate in areas like biotechnology, water conservation and farming.

“Because of the alignment in a host of industries between Israel and Arizona, it’s a natural fit,â€� said Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Arizona Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ of Commerce & Industry. “Arizona’s reputation as a tech sector leader is growing, and Israel is a global tech leader.

“While Israel’s population is only about nine million, its tech footprint makes it a superpower. Over 300 major technology companies now have some sort of serious R&D presence in Israel, including Intel, the country’s largest private employer.

“Only the United States and China have more companies listed on NASDAQ with 20 percent of all of the venture capital investment in cyber goes to Israeli companies, and the country can go toe-to-toe in virtually all of the hottest emerging sectors, including artificial intelligence, biotech, water, agriculture,  mobility, and, of course, defense.â€�

About the Ivy Brain Tumor Center  

The nonprofit Ivy Brain Tumor Center conducts state-of-the-art clinical trials for brain tumor treatment. It was established in 2005 with a $50 million grant from the Ben & Catherine Ivy , the largest non-government organization supporter of brain tumor research in the world. The grant is the largest single research grant in the history of brain tumor research. 

To read more about the center and its mission, visit:  

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Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer with over 12,000 new cases a year and a 16-month median survival rate. Due to the complexity and unique nature of this disease, little progress has been made to find new and effective treatment options.

This grim reality hit home in Arizona when Sen. John McCain was diagnosed with glioblastoma in July of 2017. As someone whose resilient spirit had been the hallmark of their public image after countless close calls with death, the country watched with grief as McCain’s health deteriorated at a rapid pace. Even with access to the best healthcare in the world, the senator wouldn’t even make it to the median survival rate having lost his battle a little over a year after his diagnosis.

McCain’s passing prompted government leaders to take action. In Arizona, where his death sent shockwaves throughout the state, community officials took a newfound interest in the research being done to help brain cancer patients, specifically the groundbreaking Phase 0 clinical trials being conducted right in their own backyard at the.

Glioblastoma Awareness Day 

and after learning about the unconventional method their researchers are taking to treat aggressive brain tumors, both left with a general consensus: more needs to be done to bring awareness to glioblastoma and accelerate research. Shortly after each of their visits, the Arizona senators joined forces with other prominent senate members and unanimously passed a bi-partisan resolution designating July 17, 2019 as the inaugural Glioblastoma Awareness Day (GBM Day). Observed as a day to honor those who have been impacted by the disease, the initiative also supports efforts to develop better treatment options that will improve patients’ long-term prognosis.

The response was overwhelming with scores of individuals and families contributing to the Glioblastoma Awareness Day campaign, enabling the to. The success of the first year encouraged those same leaders to to show their unwavering support to move the needle on brain tumor research and announced this year’s will be on Wednesday, July 22, 2020.

Arizona Leads The Charge in Brain Cancer Treatment

Even before the passing of Sen. John McCain, Arizona had been at the forefront of brain cancer research. Located in the heart of Phoenix, the nationally-recognized Barrow Neurological Institute treats the largest volume of brain tumor patients than anywhere else in the country and the Ivy Foundation in Scottsdale is the largest privately funded brain cancer research foundation in North America having dedicated over $100 million since 2005. Both entities have become instrumental in the design and implementation of one of the most ambitious programs to treat aggressive brain tumors, Ivy Phase 0 clinical trials.

The Ivy Center’s Phase 0 clinical trials program is the largest of its kind in the world and enables personalized care in a fraction of the time and cost associated with traditional drug development. Unlike conventional clinical trials focusing on single drugs, its accelerated trials program tests therapeutic combinations matched to individual patients. Ivy Phase 0 clinical trials are challenging the status quo and giving hope to brain tumor patients now more than ever.

Pandemic or Not, the Fight Continues

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, universities and medical centers have shuttered their doors, closed crucial cancer studies, suspended clinical trials, and postponed surgeries. At the Ivy Center, brain cancer research continues to be top priority. The Center has screened a record number of patients, received FDA-approval on three new clinical trials, two of which launched in May and June, and has continued to grow by hiring some of the brightest minds in the field. Brain cancer doesn’t stop during a pandemic and for those being impacted by this disease, new and experimental treatment options may be their only hope.

As Glioblastoma Awareness Day approaches, in the midst of a global health crisis, it’s important to acknowledge how far research has come and how far it has yet to go. We hope you will join the Ivy Brain Tumor Center and countless others who will be honoring on Wednesday, July 22. The support of research development and new treatment options will help thousands of people in their quest to overcome this disease. To learn more about the groundbreaking brain tumor research being done in Arizona, visit the Ivy Brain Tumor Center’s 

Melinda Langdon is the director of communications at the Ivy Brain Tumor Center at Barrow Neurological Institute, a non-profit translational research program in Phoenix, AZ that employs a bold, early-phase clinical trials strategy to identify new treatments for aggressive brain tumors, including glioblastoma.

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