Infusion of 5-AZA Pilot Study

Lead Physician: David I. Sandberg, M.D.

The Children’s Neuroscience Center has a new brain tumor trial that is open to qualified participants. The research study is being conducted by David Sandberg, M.D., Professor and Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth and Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.

The study is called “Infusion of 5-Azacytidine (5-AZA) into the Fourth Ventricle or Resection Cavity in Children with Recurrent Posterior Fossa Ependymoma: A Pilot Study.” It is open to patients who are age 1 to 21 years old with recurrent ependymoma that originated in the posterior fossa of the brain.

The study employs a novel means of treating ependymoma brain tumors that originate from the fourth ventricle: infusion of a chemotherapy agent directly into the fourth ventricle rather than systemic intravenous delivery. The agent being infused, 5-AZA, has never been infused into the brain in humans but has been shown to effectively kill ependymoma cells in the laboratory. There will be no simultaneous systemic chemotherapy.

This study is listed at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT # 02940483, under “Brain Tumor Recurrent.” If you would like additional information about this study, please contact Bangning Yu, M.D., Ph.D., by email at Bangning.Yu@uth.tmc.edu or call (713) 500-7363.

For more information: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT # 02940483