Frank B. Furnari, PhD

A brain cancer called glioblastoma is one of the deadliest cancers. Even with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, most patients only live about 15 months. The biggest problem is that the cancer almost always comes back. Scientists are still learning why this happens. Some cancer cells, called “persister cells,” can survive radiation therapy by going into a kind of hibernation. When treatment stops, these cells wake up and start growing again, causing the tumor to return. Think of it like weeds in a garden. If you don’t remove all the roots, the weeds grow back.Our research discovered that a protein called BRD2 helps these persister cells survive radiation. When we remove BRD2 from cancer cells in the lab, they die from radiation. But when we use drugs to block BRD2, some cells still survive. They find other ways to stay alive.We’re now testing drug combinations. These drugs block both BRD2 and the backup routes cells use to survive, stopping cancer cells from returning after radiation. Another problem is getting drugs into the brain. The brain has a natural wall that blocks most medicines. We’re creating tiny particles that can carry drugs past this wall. Think of them as special delivery trucks that know a secret path into the brain. If this works, we could have new treatments that stop brain tumors from returning after radiation. This would give patients more time with their families, changing this deadly cancer into a disease we can control.