The National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded a $679,176 Project Grant under the "Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research" program (CFDA 93.394) to the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) to develop a novel minimally invasive method for enhancing spinal cord delivery of cancer therapies. The key objectives are to:
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Characterize the blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) and optimize a light-based approach to temporarily open the BSCB (termed "epidural optoBSCB") in a spinal cord glioma animal model.
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Evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of combining drugs (dabrafenib, trametinib), radiation therapy, and immune checkpoint inhibitors when delivered via the optoBSCB approach.
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Assess the feasibility of the optoBSCB method in a large animal (pig) model using a custom epidural light delivery probe.
The project aims to advance a transformative technology for improving drug penetration and treatment outcomes for intramedullary spinal cord tumors, an area with limited therapeutic options. The 5-year award period runs from February 1, 2025 to January 31, 2030.
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