The TLC² Foundation has generously supported the translational glioblastoma research of Ganesh Rao, M.D., and Benjamin Deneen, Ph.D., with $450,000 over multiple years. These contributions are now leading to new insights into this aggressive form of brain cancer. Glioblastoma has an average age of diagnosis of 65, but it can strike people of any age, race, gender or demographic. Despite first being identified in the scientific literature in the 1920s, there have only been four drugs and one device ever approved by the FDA specifically for the treatment of glioblastoma. The TLC² Foundation’s support for Drs. Rao and Deneen offers a promising avenue for breakthroughs against this deadly brain cancer by advancing the development of innovative therapeutics personalized to each patient.
Glioblastoma is a dangerous cancer because it’s so aggressive. But the TLC² Foundation and Doug Chandler, president of the Foundation, are ready for a fight. Established in 2014 by Terry and Doug Chandler, the TLC² Foundation started providing grants to glioblastoma research after Mrs. Chandler’s diagnosis and death in 2017. Since then, the TLC² Foundation has been dedicated to supporting her physician, Dr. Rao, as well as fighting for veterans’ and children’s causes that were close to Mrs. Chandler’s heart.
“I have a sign in my office that says, ‘Glioblastoma, we’re coming for you.’ And that’s what we mean,” said Judy Pittman, a director for the Foundation. “We’re coming for you—so watch out.”
The TLC² Foundation funding has built glioblastoma mouse models that are generating discoveries surrounding the tumor microenvironment. Researchers have found that laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT), which uses an MRI-guided laser to treat hard-to-reach tumors in a minimally invasive procedure, activates the immune system in brain cancer. Drs. Rao and Deneen are using their mouse models to uncover why. Once the tumor cells are destroyed, immune system cells flood the area and eliminate any remaining cancer cells.
By studying the effects of LITT and the subsequent immune infiltration, Drs. Deneen and Rao are hoping to learn what enzymes, chemicals, proteins or signals are released that attract the immune cells.
“Funding from the TLC² Foundation is helping to put our work on the cutting-edge of glioblastoma research,” Dr. Rao said. “If we can understand why laser therapy enhances the immune effect, this could be a game-changing development in glioblastoma treatment.”
A recent pledge of $2 million made by the TLC² Foundation in December 2024 will continue to support this vital research.
Professor
Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology
Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research
Professor
Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology
Faculty Founder
Tailored Antibacterials and Innovative Laboratories for phage (Φ) Research
Joseph Melnick Endowed Chair in Molecular Virology and Microbiology
Executive Director of the Therapeutic Innovation Center
Professor
Department of Molecular and Human Genetics
The Verna and Marrs McLean Department Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology
The Robert A. Welch Chair in Chemistry
McNair Scholar
