Clinical Research Directory

Dabrafenib Combined With Trametinib After Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Newly-Diagnosed High-Grade Glioma

This phase II trial studies how well the combination of dabrafenib and trametinib works after radiation therapy in children and young adults with high grade glioma who have a genetic change called BRAF V600 mutation. Radiation therapy uses high energy rays to kill tumor cells and reduce the size of tumors. Dabrafenib and trametinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking BRAF and MEK, respectively, which are enzymes that tumor cells need for their growth. Giving dabrafenib with trametinib after radiation therapy may work better than treatments used in the past in patients with newly-diagnosed BRAF V600-mutant high-grade glioma.

Study of Tovorafenib in High-Grade Glioma and Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)

The goal of this study is to determine the efficacy of the study drugs tovorafenib to treat pediatric and young adult patients newly diagnosed with a high-grade glioma (HGG), including DIPG, that have genetic changes in pathways (MAPK) that this drug targets. The main question the study aims to answer is whether tovorafenib can prolong the life of patients diagnosed with HGG, including DIPG.

An Investigational Scan (Ga-68 PSMA-11 PET/CT) for Detection of Disease Recurrence or Progression in Patients With Glioma

This clinical trial evaluates whether gallium-68 (Ga-68) prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-11 positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging is useful in differentiating between disease that has come back after a period of improvement (recurrence) or that is growing, spreading, or getting worse (progression) and treatment effect in patients with glioma. Patients with glioma undergo frequent imaging for assessment of disease status. After first-line treatment however, the correlation between imaging findings and tumor activity can be confused, and surgery is often required for definitive diagnosis. The PET/CT scanner is an imaging machine that combines 2 types of imaging in a single scan. The PET scanner detects and takes pictures of where the radioactive imaging agent (68Ga PSMA-11) has gone in the body and the CT scanner uses x-rays to take structural pictures inside the body. PSMA PET also binds to neoplastic blood vessels, including those in gliomas. This study may help researchers learn whether GA-68 PSMA-11 PET/CT is useful for improving detection of tumor recurrence or progression, as opposed to treatment effects, in patients with gliomas.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring for the Management of Hyperglycemia in Patients With Glioblastoma

This clinical trial studies whether continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) can be used to help patients with glioblastoma manage their blood sugar (glucose) levels and improve survival. Glioblastoma is the most common malignant primary brain tumor in adults, with an average survival time of approximately 15-18 months despite therapy. Studies have shown that having a higher-than-normal amount of glucose in the blood (hyperglycemia) during radiation therapy is associated with poorer survival outcomes in glioblastoma patients. Hyperglycemia in glioblastoma patients is often driven by steroids that are commonly used during treatment. CGM uses a device that places a sensor under the skin that monitors glucose levels at regular intervals, providing real-time, or near real-time, glucose information. This can help to identify when a patient has changes in their glucose levels so they may receive necessary interventions or medications sooner. CGM may be an effective way for glioblastoma patients to manage their glucose levels, which may improve survival.

Anti-GARP Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Recurrent Grade III or IV Gliomas

This phase I trial tests the safety, side effects, and best dose of anti-glycoprotein-A repetitions predominant (GARP) chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy and how well it works in treating patients with grade III or IV gliomas that have come back after a period of improvement (recurrent). CAR T-cell therapy is a type of treatment in which a patient's T cells (a type of immune system cell) are changed in the laboratory so they will attack tumor cells. T cells are taken from a patient's blood. Then the gene for a special receptor that binds to a certain protein, such as GARP, on the patient's tumor cells is added to the T cells in the laboratory. The special receptor is called a CAR. Large numbers of the CAR T cells are grown in the laboratory and given to the patient by infusion for treatment of certain tumors. Giving anti-GARP CAR T cell therapy may be safe, tolerable, and/or effective in treating patients with recurrent grade III or IV gliomas.