In March 2024, doctors at Mass General Brigham tested an experimental form of CAR-T therapy on three patients with recurrent glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive brain cancers. The team combined engineered immune cells with targeted antibodies and delivered the treatment directly into the fluid around the brain and spinal cord, allowing the immune cells to attack the tumor more precisely.
The early results surprised researchers. One patient’s tumor shrank about 18.5% in two days and more than 60% within ten weeks. Another showed rapid regression, while a third had visible MRI changes within five days. The trial involved only three patients, so it is far from a cure, but it offers an encouraging sign that even glioblastoma may have a vulnerability scientists can target.
