Central Nervous System
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Oct 05 – Oct 12, 2026
Neoadjuvant PD1 plus CTLA-4 immune checkpoint blockade in surgically resectable recurrent glioblastoma: a randomized surgical window-of-opportunity trial.
NAT COMMUN · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #10/135TOP-TIER
This randomized surgical window-of-opportunity trial evaluated neoadjuvant PD1 plus CTLA-4 immune checkpoint blockade in 63 randomized patients with surgically resectable recurrent glioblastoma, comparing dual ICB (nivolumab plus ipilimumab), nivolumab alone, or placebo before surgery, with 58 receiving study treatment. The primary endpoint of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte density was met for dual ICB versus untreated control, and median overall survival was 402 days for dual ICB arms versus 273 days for nivolumab alone. No unanticipated toxicities occurred, and exploratory analyses linked higher TIL density and early systemic interferon signatures with improved survival. The authors conclude that dual ICB demonstrates pharmacodynamic activity in glioblastoma with favorable survival outcomes.
10.1038/s41467-026-77433-z
Sep 28 – Oct 05, 2026
Tocilizumab, atezolizumab, and stereotactic radiotherapy in recurrent glioblastoma: primary analysis of safety and efficacy of a phase 2 trial, NRG Oncology-BN010.
INT J RADIAT ONCOL · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #14/212
This multicenter, single-arm phase 2 trial (NRG Oncology-BN010) evaluated the safety and efficacy of tocilizumab, atezolizumab, and fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT) in 41 evaluable patients with recurrent glioblastoma. The study employed a safety run-in followed by a Simon’s two-stage design, with tocilizumab (8 mg/kg) and atezolizumab (1680 mg) given on 28-day cycles and FSRT (24 Gy in 3 fractions) initiated 3-7 days after cycle 1. The primary endpoint of objective response rate (ORR) was not met, with an ORR of 3.4% (95% CI: 0.1%-17.8%), median PFS of 3.2 months, and median OS of 10.2 months. The combination was safe and well tolerated but did not achieve the pre-specified efficacy outcome.
10.1016/j.ijrobp.2026.09.013
Sep 21 – Sep 28, 2026
Radiotherapy versus observation following surgical resection of WHO grade 2 atypical meningioma (ROAM/EORTC-1308): an international, multicentre, open-label, phase 3, randomised controlled trial.
LANCET · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #1/332TOP-TIER
This international, multicentre, open-label, phase 3 randomised controlled trial assessed whether adjuvant radiotherapy reduces recurrence compared with observation in patients with newly diagnosed WHO grade 2 atypical meningioma after complete surgical resection. 157 patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to adjuvant radiotherapy (60 Gy in 30 fractions over 6 weeks) or observation, with a minimum 4-year follow-up and median follow-up of 64 months. Meningioma recurrence occurred in 11 (14%) of 78 radiotherapy patients versus 24 (30%) of 79 observation patients, and 5-year disease-free survival was 79.9% versus 64.3% (HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.27-0.97; p=0.0396). The authors concluded that adjuvant radiotherapy should be considered after complete resection when recurrence prevention outweighs potential delayed adverse effects.
10.1016/S0140-6736(26)01804-0
Sep 07 – Sep 14, 2026
A novel approach to reverse Warburg metabolism in patients with recurrent glioblastoma: A phase II pharmacodynamic study of dichloroacetate.
NEURO-ONCOL ADV · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #50/285
This phase II pharmacodynamic trial evaluated oral dichloroacetate (DCA) in 37 recurrent glioblastoma patients requiring surgical debulking, with patients receiving either one week of DCA or no DCA prior to surgery, and all receiving DCA postoperatively. The primary endpoint was decreased PDC phosphorylation (p-PDHA1) in resected tumors. Results showed that DCA-treated patients had lower p-PDHA1, PDK4, HIF1-α, VEGF-α, and PGK1 expression in contrast-enhancing tumor tissue (all p<.05), reduced plasma lactate at surgery (p=.004), and dramatic postoperative lactate reduction (p<.001). DCA was safe and well-tolerated but did not delay tumor recurrence, leading the authors to recommend further combination therapy studies.
10.1093/noajnl/vdag223
Association between temozolomide-related hematologic toxicity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma.
NEURO-ONCOLOGY · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #4/285TOP-TIER
This study evaluated the association between temozolomide-related hematologic toxicity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma, using pooled data from three clinical trials. The primary HRQoL outcomes included physical, social, and role functioning, pain, fatigue, nausea/vomiting, and global health status, with severe toxicity defined as grade 3-4 cytopenias, febrile neutropenia, or prolonged grade 2 toxicity. Among 1288 patients, 8% experienced severe toxicity during concomitant chemoradiotherapy and 6% during maintenance; global health scores declined by -8.52 points in those with severe toxicity versus -4.78 in those without (p=0.24), with no statistically significant differences across any HRQoL domains. The authors concluded that severe hematologic toxicity had no significant association with impaired HRQoL, though psychological functioning warrants further investigation.
10.1093/neuonc/noag224
Aug 24 – Aug 31, 2026
Volumetric Changes in Hippocampal Subfields and Memory Performance After Fractionated Brain Radiation Therapy.
NEURO-ONCOLOGY · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #4/285TOP-TIER
This prospective clinical trial enrolled 89 adults with primary brain tumors receiving fractionated radiation therapy (RT) to evaluate longitudinal, dose-dependent volumetric changes in hippocampal subfields and their associations with memory performance. High-resolution 3D volumetric MRI and memory tests were obtained at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months post-RT, with automated segmentation of 38 hippocampal subfields. Linear mixed-effects models revealed significant atrophy in multiple bilateral subfields at all timepoints (all p≤0.05), dose-dependent atrophy at 12 months in the left hippocampus (p=.01) and at all timepoints in the right, with eight right-sided and one left-sided subfield showing dose-dependent atrophy. Greater volumes in specific left-sided subfields correlated with better verbal memory, while right-sided subfield volumes predicted visuospatial memory performance (all p≤0.05). The authors conclude that fractionated RT induces progressive, dose-related hippocampal subfield atrophy with memory associations, suggesting subfield-sparing planning objectives may optimize cognitive outcomes.
10.1093/neuonc/noag195
Non-invasive prehabilitation before neurosurgery modifies the topography of the language production network without compromising function.
NEUROIMAGE · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #1/16
This prospective clinical trial (NCT05844605) enrolled 26 patients with operable brain tumors affecting language or motor regions to assess whether non-invasive neuromodulation-induced prehabilitation (NIP) selectively modulates the language production network and preserves function. Eleven patients received language-targeted NIP (TMS and/or tDCS with language training), while fourteen received NIP targeting motor networks as controls. Results showed group-specific reduction in overlap between the stimulation target ROI and fMRI language activation maps in the language-targeted group, with no significant motor network changes in either group. The authors conclude that NIP can safely reorganize the language network, potentially enabling larger resections without functional compromise.
10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.122185
Aug 17 – Aug 24, 2026
Phase 1 study of intracranial T cell therapy with pemetrexed for refractory brain metastases and glioblastomas.
CELL REP MED · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #15/195TOP-TIER
This phase 1 clinical trial evaluated intracranial administration of low-dose pemetrexed followed by RetroNectin-activated killer cells (RAKs) and interleukin 2 (SCOPE-T) via an Ommaya reservoir in 25 patients with refractory brain metastases and glioblastomas. Nineteen patients completed at least one treatment cycle, with 17 receiving the maximum RAK dose (5 × 10 cells). Treatment was well tolerated, with no treatment-related adverse events greater than grade 2; transient fever and headache were the most common toxicities. Exploratory assessments suggested disease stabilization in evaluable patients, supporting feasibility and safety, though the non-randomized design and small sample size warrant interpretation as exploratory.
10.1016/j.xcrm.2026.102967