Research focuses on developing innovative therapeutic strategies for central nervous system tumors in both pediatric and adult patients. Particular emphasis is placed on high-grade gliomas (HGG), glioblastoma (GBM), diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma/diffuse midline glioma (DIPG/DMG), and other pediatric brain tumors associated with poor clinical outcomes.
A major area of investigation is the development of CAR-T cell therapies targeting tumor-associated antigens, including B7-H3 (CD276), GD2, IL13Rα2, and EGFRvIII. These next-generation immunotherapies are designed to selectively recognize and eliminate malignant cells while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy brain tissue.
Research also explores Convection-Enhanced Delivery (CED), an advanced intracerebral drug delivery technique that enables the direct administration of therapeutic agents into brain tumors, bypassing the blood-brain barrier and achieving high local drug concentrations with reduced systemic toxicity.
Additional projects focus on the identification of novel molecular and imaging biomarkers to facilitate precision medicine and individualized treatment planning.
Current investigations also examine the immunobiology of the tumor microenvironment, mechanisms of immune evasion, combination strategies integrating CAR-T cell therapy with other immunotherapeutic approaches, and novel methods to enhance treatment efficacy in tumors resistant to conventional surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.
The overarching goal of this research is to translate advances in molecular neuro-oncology and cellular immunotherapy into safe and effective clinical treatments that improve survival while preserving neurological function and quality of life.