Oncotelic Therapeutics, Inc. announced the publication of High Intra-Tumor Transforming Growth Factor ß2 Level as a Predictor of Poor Treatment Outcomes in Pediatric Cancer of the brainstem. Links to the publication can be found below. Pediatric cancer of the brainstem, including DIPGs, is one of the most aggressive and deadliest childhood brain tumors.

In spite of numerous clinical trials of chemotherapeutic agents, immune-oncology drugs, and specific targeted therapies aimed at improving the survival outcome of these patients, little progress has been achieved and the prognosis remains dismal, with a median survival time of approximately 10 months and a two-year survival rate of less than 10 percent. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the clinical significance of amplified expression levels of transforming growth factor beta 2 (TGFß2) in the tumor tissue specimens from these patients. findings provide the first evidence that high level TGFß2 expression is associated with a poor treatment outcome.

The reported results also support the notion that further evaluation of the clinical potential of new strategies targeting TGFß2 in pediatric cancer of the brainstem is warranted. A clinical study protocol looking at treatment of pediatric cancer of brainstem with OT-101 has been accepted onto the National Institute for Health and Care Research (“NIHR”) portfolio. NIHR is the British government's major funder of clinical, public health, social care and translational research.