Satoru Osuka, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery, was recently awarded his first R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health for his project, "Targeting radiation-induced invasion in Glioblastoma."

Osuka’s project will address the lack of effective treatment options for radiation-induced invasive glioblastoma cells.

After analyzing a model of radiation-induced invasive glioblastoma cells and performing repeated irradiation to observe changes in invasion cells during radiotherapy, Osuka and his research team successfully developed the novel collagen-binding-domain-IL-12 (CBD-IL-12), which selectively binds to tumor-cell-expressing collagen type III (COL III) and stimulates the tumor-killing effect by immune cells.

“It’s been almost three years since I started my [research] lab, and getting to this point has definitely not been easy,” said Osuka. “But thanks to the support of everyone in the department, I was able to keep going and finally make it here.”

Through Osuka’s research, there may be an entirely new therapy on the horizon for glioblastoma treatment.