Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Degree

Master of Science

Program

Anatomy and Cell Biology

Supervisor

Dr. Susanne Schmid

Abstract

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary central nervous system tumor in adults, with an annual incidence of 3.0 per 100,000 of the population. Standard of care is a surgical resection of the tumor followed by adjuvant chemoradiation, but this treatment only offers patients a median lifespan of 12-18 months.

We propose an implanted device to deliver therapeutic high frequency electrical stimulation within the tumor-affected area of the brain, in a novel approach we refer to as Intratumoral Modulation Therapy (IMT). Our study aims to establish the effectiveness of this treatment in the F98 Fischer rat glioma model, a preclinical in vivo model of GBM.

Our data suggests that IMT attenuates tumor growth in vivo, which may result in better outcomes for patients with GBM or other tumors of the central nervous system. This may directly translate into a desperately needed novel multi-modal paradigm for GBM treatment.

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