Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive and common type of brain tumour, affecting nearly 250,000 people worldwide every year.
Despite decades of research, there is still no cure. Standard treatment involves surgical removal of the tumour, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
While these approaches can temporarily slow tumour growth, the average life expectancy for patients remains just 15 months after diagnosis.
The disease poses an enormous burden not only on patients and families but also on healthcare systems, given the intensity and cost of treatment.
This urgent medical challenge has driven researchers to explore new, more precise ways to combat glioblastoma multiforme.
The NuCapCure project: A multidisciplinary breakthrough
A groundbreaking initiative, known as the NuCapCure project, is seeking to revolutionise GBM therapy.
Supported by the European Innovation Council (EIC) through €5.9m Horizon Europe funding, the project brings together seven international institutions in a unique multidisciplinary network.
NuCapCure integrates expertise across nuclear physics, synthetic chemistry, biochemistry, and radiobiology.
By combining these fields, researchers aim to develop therapies that use the tumour’s own cellular processes against it – selectively destroying cancer cells while sparing healthy brain tissue.
Two innovative treatment pathways
At the core of NuCapCure’s strategy are two pioneering approaches:
NuCapCure Proton: This combines proton radiotherapy with photosensitiser (PS) proton activation and boron proton capture therapy (BPCT).
NuCapCure Neutron: This approach uses glioblastoma-specific PS neutron activation alongside boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT).
Both methods take advantage of tumour cells’ biosynthetic activity. Cancer cells will essentially prepare chemical compounds within themselves. Once activated by proton or neutron irradiation, these compounds act as “silver bullets,’ triggering the cells’ self-destruction.
Unlike conventional treatments, which harm surrounding tissue, these techniques are designed to precisely target only the malignant cells, minimising side effects and potentially leading to curative outcomes.
Path to clinical application
The project will validate its therapies in two phases. First, experiments will be carried out in glioblastoma multiforme cell cultures, followed by testing in preclinical animal models.
The official project timeline extends to 2028, with an interim transition phase expected to set the stage for further development.
Plans include applying for EIC Transition and EIC Accelerator funding, commercialising the results, and ultimately spinning off a company to drive therapies toward clinical trials.
Looking further ahead, NuCapCure aims to bring these therapies to brain tumour patients by around 2040, a timeline that could mark a turning point in how glioblastoma multiforme is treated worldwide.
A potential game-changer for GBM patients
If successful, NuCapCure’s therapies could dramatically change the outlook for GBM patients.
By targeting tumours at the molecular level while sparing healthy tissue, the treatments could extend survival times, reduce treatment-related suffering, and ease the financial burden on healthcare systems.
While still in its early stages, the project offers a beacon of hope in the fight against glioblastoma multiforme – a disease that has remained stubbornly resistant to conventional therapies.