International research collaboration brings hope for glioblastoma treatment

A challenging and demanding journey awaits the newly founded company, Mesenkia Therapeutics, as it begins work to hopefully offer a completely new way to clinically treat glioblastoma – the most common and aggressive type of brain cancer. UU Invest is investing in the company, which is now preparing the clinical trials required to develop and approve a new drug. A drug that is hoped to increase the lifespan of affected patients.

Compared to the treatment of many other cancer diagnoses, where new research has enabled significant progress and drastically improved survival rates, there is currently no targeted treatment with similar advancements for glioblastoma. This aggressive cancer type remains as difficult to treat today as it was before. Only marginal progress has been made. This may now change thanks to a long-standing research collaboration between professors Bengt Westermark and Carl-Henrik Heldin from Uppsala university and Professor Kohei Miyazono and his colleague Ryo Tanabe from the University of Tokyo.

At the Core – An Antibody

– It’s a challenging and demanding task ahead, but as I see it, it is our duty as researchers to try when we see the great potential we see here. Not trying would be wrong. If everything goes according to plan, it would be fantastic to offer a new treatment for this patient group, says Bengt Westermark, Professor at the Department of Immunology, Genetics, and Pathology at Uppsala university.

Years of research lie behind this breakthrough. The hopes for a new drug are based on the discovery of a protein on the surface of cancer cells. Building on this discovery, the research team has developed an antibody that targets the protein and appears to inhibit tumor growth.

Difficult to Cure – But Possible to Extend Lifespan

– This is a major breakthrough in our research. For the first time, we have been able to use targeted therapy against glioblastoma cells. Hopefully, we have also found a way not only to inhibit cancer cell growth but also to activate the immune system. This could potentially allow for the addition of other relevant immunotherapies to further suppress growth – and thus increase the lifespan of affected patients even more. However, it is important to remember that this is an extremely challenging tumor type to treat. We probably cannot cure the disease, but we can hopefully extend the patient’s life, says Bengt.

Mesenkia Takes the Work Forward

The research that underpins this breakthrough has been ongoing for many years and it will take time before the findings reach affected patients. However, work to accelerate the process has already started, with the newly founded company Mesenkia taking the lead.

– The first challenge for the company is to finance and conduct the clinical trials required to get the drug approved. This work requires significant resources. Another important task is to secure the patents needed for future drug production. This is also a major and extensive undertaking. We are already underway, and we hope the clinical trial results will show promising outcomes. If everything goes as we hope and believe, a new treatment could be rolled out on a large scale, says Carl-Henrik Heldin, Professor at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Biomedical Center (BMC) at Uppsala university.

Collaboration – A Recipe for Success

For both Bengt and Carl-Henrik, the research breakthrough and the effort to move the research forward to make a difference for patients are significant. Working with researchers from other countries is seen as part of the success.

The two researchers have collaborated for almost 50 years and are both colleagues and good friends.

– It’s about trust between researchers. Collaborations. Working internationally is an important and enjoyable aspect of our role as researchers. We work together and often become very good friends. Collaborations are also part of what it means to be a researcher, something I value and believe helps us move forward toward new important knowledge, says Bengt, who is often described as a leading figure in glioblastoma research, with many active research groups tied to his work at the Rudbeck Laboratory.

Carl-Henrik shares the same view. Collaborations lead to good research.

– I agree with Bengt about the value of collaboration between researchers. That’s how it works. Our field spans the entire world, and the focus isn’t just on what we ourselves are doing. We participate and contribute internationally in numerous research processes. Researchers aren’t typically introverted people. Research is often an interactive endeavor where you share results. Being part of large research contexts and contributing to solutions is both an enjoyable and important aspect of being a researcher, says Carl-Henrik.

Visit Mesenkia Therapeutics for more information about the company, or email the CEO, Moa Fransson, at moa.fransson@mesenkia.com.