VUB-UZ Brussels approach can keep patients with brain tumours relapse-free for two to four years
In an ongoing study by Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), together with UZ Brussel, five out of nineteen patients with an aggressive brain tumour have remained free of relapse for more than two years. Two of them have even remained relapse-free for over four years. These are exceptional highlights in a field where survival rates are generally low, and they provide strong evidence that a new approach — immunotherapy administered directly into the brain — offers real promise.
The core of the research by medical oncologist Bart Neyns and his team has focused on immunotherapy for nearly twenty years: a treatment that stimulates the patient’s own immune system to attack cancer cells. Normally, the immune system protects us against viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Cancer cells arise from the body’s own cells but carry abnormal features. In principle, the immune system can recognize these, but tumours often succeed in evading that defence.
Immunotherapy directly in the brain
The current research by the VUB–UZ Brussel team goes a step beyond the conventional intravenous approach. In their most experimental method, immunotherapy is administered directly into the brain, in or near the area where the tumour is located. This strategy is bold, but it is precisely there that the researchers see the first clear signs of a lasting effect. Some patients remain relapse-free for more than two years and a few even for over four years — in a disease where relapse is almost the norm. For Neyns, this is no reason for triumph, but it is a powerful motivation: it proves that it is possible.
Neurosurgery and technology
The research is closely linked to neurosurgery. Dr Johnny Duerinck, neurosurgeon at UZ Brussel, the hospital of the VUB, operates on brain tumour patients and, in the research context, administers the immunotherapy surgically. In brain tumours — especially gliomas — there is rarely a neat, clearly defined mass. The tumour grows infiltratively: cells penetrate deeply into the surrounding brain tissue, often beyond what is visible on MRI scans.
For this reason, Duerinck and his team are working on a combination of tissue analyses and advanced imaging techniques, supported by AI algorithms. This more precise approach is essential, not only to reduce the tumour mass but also to deliver immunotherapy in the exact right location and under the safest possible conditions.
The research by Prof. Neyns, Dr. Duerinck, and their colleagues on immunotherapy for brain tumours is only partially funded by traditional research grants. Additional resources are needed to include more patients in studies, further develop technologies such as AI-supported imaging, and bring promising treatments to the clinic more quickly. In short: to save more lives.
Videos: cancer research offers hope
"Our research has focused primarily on the application of immunotherapy for over twenty years. We are entirely dependent on financial support."
"The number of people living with cancer, such as a brain tumour, is seriously underestimated. That’s why thorough research into effective treatments is absolutely essential."
"Doctor Bart Neyns and his team were always ready to explain the groundbreaking immunotherapy research to us, even after mum had passed away."
"Patients who are diagnosed with a brain tumour need perspective and hope."
Bio
Prof. Dr Bart Neyns (VUB/UZ Brussel) is a medical oncologist and head of the Medical Oncology department. He earned his PhD at the VUB with research into the genetic basis of cancer and innovative virus-based therapies. His career is dedicated to developing new treatments for melanoma, glioblastoma and colorectal cancer. With over 140 publications and years of clinical research, he remains a leading voice in oncology.
