The innovative 'made in Spain' therapy for the most aggressive childhood brain tumor has saved Samuel.

Each year, around 250 cases of childhood brain cancer are diagnosed in Spain. Among them, medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor and one of the most aggressive. More than 40% of these patients suffer relapses, and when they do occur, they usually have a poor prognosis, with a low chance of cure.

In this context, this Thursday, the Niño Jesús University Children's Hospital in the Community of Madrid presented the results of an innovative clinical trial with an advanced therapy drug for the aggressive disease. This project, funded by the CRIS Cancer Foundation, evaluated a new therapy called Alocelyvir.

The new treatment combines mesenchymal cells (stem cells) with an oncolytic virus , an adenovirus modified to selectively attack tumor cells while sparing healthy tissue. These viruses also generate alarms that mobilize the immune system, which initially responds to eliminate the virus, but ends up attacking the malignant cells.

The study, a Phase Ib clinical trial, had the primary objective of evaluating the safety of the treatment. It involved six children with medulloblastoma , aged 5 to 18, who had received other therapies that were ineffective. These children received Alocelyvir as monotherapy for eight weeks, and all patients completed the treatment without serious side effects.

All patients were closely monitored to determine disease progression and potential side effects from this innovative therapy.

Although MRIs performed at 10 weeks showed tumor progression in all cases, five of the six patients were able to continue treatment with new therapies after the trial ended , achieving positive responses in several cases, such as tumor shrinkage or disease stabilization. Two of the six patients are still alive 26 and 8 months after receiving treatment, with their tumors under control.

These initial results show that Alocelvyr is a safe therapy and suggest it could stimulate the immune system to fight the tumor even after the virus administration ends. In other words, it could trigger an immune response capable of sensitizing the tumor so that other treatments are effective. Although additional studies with larger numbers of patients are required, this research opens a promising avenue for improving the treatment of one of the most aggressive brain tumors in childhood and adolescence.

CRIS Cancer summarizes that this study demonstrates the safety and viability of this therapy for medulloblastoma . Furthermore, it provides clues to its potential efficacy, as prolonged survival was observed in some of the patients in the study. This suggests that Alocelvyr could be triggering an immune response capable of sensitizing the tumor to other treatments.

It is worth noting that this treatment could also be used for other types of brain tumors , as explained by specialists during the trial presentation.

Samuel "is doing very well"

Samuel, now 18, has been battling medulloblastoma since 2016. His mother, Lola , says that when he was diagnosed, he received treatment that initially worked, but three years later, he relapsed. At that time, they were sent from his hometown of Jaén to a hospital in Madrid , where he began another treatment. However, due to the toxicity, which sent him to the ICU twice, they were forced to discontinue it.

At that moment, this clinical trial came along, and Samuel enrolled. Thanks to the study, this Thursday, his mother said that Samuel "is doing very well" and "although we can't say he's in complete remission, he's stable," she explains hopefully.

Samuel himself took the floor to thank CRIS against cancer and the treatment itself "for helping me recover and stay well."

The story behind the essay: Noel's legacy

Noel , a boy from Betanzos, was diagnosed with medulloblastoma when he was just 8 years old . Together with his mother, Sonia González , and with the support of CRIS Contra el Cáncer, they launched a campaign to research new therapies for this childhood brain tumor. The funds raised have funded the clinical trial for ALOCELYVIR.

Although therapy came late for Noel, his legacy has made this breakthrough possible, and it's already benefiting other children . His story symbolizes how solidarity and research can open new paths where none existed before.

Sonia stated that "this project was born from the love of a mother and has grown with the commitment of many families , researchers, and individuals who believe, like CRIS Against Cancer, that childhood cancer can be cured if we truly invest in research. Every child who gains time, every family that regains hope is a reason to continue. This is my son Noel's legacy."