our projects
Project Liam
The Glioblastoma Research Organization launched Project Liam in collaboration with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to advance research into immunotherapy for children with recurrent high-grade glioma.
Led by Dr. Davidson through the Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium (PNOC), the project investigated whether checkpoint inhibitor treatment given before surgery could help activate a stronger anti-tumor immune response and provide researchers with a deeper understanding of how pediatric brain tumors respond to immunotherapy.
With support from the Glioblastoma Research Organization, nine children were enrolled in the international clinical trial, generating valuable clinical data and tumor and blood samples that will continue to inform the next phase of the research.
About Project Liam
2026 Q3 Project Update:
Brain tumors remain the leading cause of cancer-related death in children, and high-grade gliomas continue to be among the most difficult pediatric brain tumors to treat. Immunotherapy has transformed treatment for several cancers, but its effectiveness in brain tumors has remained limited, in part because the environment surrounding the tumor can suppress the immune system’s ability to attack cancer cells.
Project Liam explored a specific form of immunotherapy known as checkpoint inhibition. Through an international clinical trial conducted through the Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium, children with recurrent high-grade glioma received checkpoint inhibitor treatment both before and after surgery. Researchers set out to determine whether treatment before surgery could improve outcomes while also studying how it changes the tumor and the immune cells surrounding it.
With support from the Glioblastoma Research Organization, nine children were enrolled in the study. During the course of the trial, the research team faced several challenges, including the withdrawal of support from a pharmaceutical partner. Funding from the Glioblastoma Research Organization helped allow the study to continue enrolling despite that loss of support.
Enrollment ultimately progressed more slowly than anticipated, and the clinical trial has now closed to additional participants. While the study did not reach its original enrollment goal, the patients who participated generated a substantial collection of clinical and biological data that provides an important opportunity for continued investigation.
Researchers will now analyze the data along with tumor and blood samples collected through the study to better understand how the timing of checkpoint inhibitor treatment affects anti-tumor immune responses, tumor cell activity and the surrounding immune environment. This work may also help identify biomarkers that could inform which patients are most likely to benefit from specific approaches in future clinical trials.
The team plans to present findings from Project Liam at an international pediatric brain tumor conference in 2027 while preparing the research for publication. The goal remains the same: to use what was learned from every patient who participated to help design more effective treatments and future clinical trials for children with high-grade glioma.
