Are you living with a high grade tumour? If so please join this focus group.
Your voice is a transformative force and brings research closer to patients and
patients closer to research. Focus groups are really important – seeking patient and caregiver feedback is a key step in trial design and means that research is more likely to be funded.
What is this study about?
The study tests a new treatment called tuvusertib for people with a specific type of
brain tumour called high-grade astrocytoma.
What makes this study different?
This research represents a precision medicine approach - treating patients based
on the specific genetic features of the tumour rather than using the same treatment
for all brain tumours.
The opportunity: Researchers have found that this specific type of brain tumour
(with IDH and ATRX gene changes) might respond well to a new drug called
tuvusertib. Early tests show that 2 out of 5 patients had the tumours shrink or stop
growing for over 20 months.
How does the new treatment work?
Tuvusertib blocks a protein called ATR that cancer cells need to repair their DNA.
When cancer cells can't repair their damaged DNA properly, they die. This type of
brain tumour is particularly vulnerable to this approach because of its specific genetic
makeup.
The bigger picture
This study is part of a national effort to transform brain tumour care in the UK. Even if
this particular drug doesn't work, the research will provide valuable information about this type of brain tumour and help establish better ways to test new treatments in the
future.
