Our Projects

Our Research Initiatives

Here in the Khasraw lab, we focus on tumor immunobiology. We are interested in leveraging biologically relevant tumor-immune interactions to bring new therapies to patients, and our work is constantly growing and evolving. Please take some time to view the major themes of our research below.

Clinical Trials the Khasraw Lab is currently leading:

Examples of Our Clinical Trials:

• The MOAB Trial: The MOAB trial tests whether neoadjuvant immune therapy with atezolizumab can improve outcomes for patients with recurrent glioblastoma. Patients who require surgery or a biopsy receive the drug beforehand, and their post-treatment tumor samples are analyzed to understand how immunotherapy alters the immune microenvironment. These insights aim to improve future strategies to help more patients respond effectively to immune-based treatments.

• The ETAPA Trial: In the ETAPA trial, patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma received standard radiation and temozolomide, followed by a peptide vaccine targeting pp65, EPHA3, and Survivin. ETAPA has now completed enrollment. Through analysis of clinical outcomes, MRI imaging, and longitudinal immune profiling, including spectral flow cytometry, single-cell RNA sequencing of pre- and post-treatment tumors, and VDJ sequencing of peripheral blood immune cells, we aim to reveal how tumors and immune cells change under therapy pressure. The results will help uncover early signs of resistance to immunotherapy and identify new opportunities for intervention before the disease becomes more aggressive.

• The PesKE Trial: This study was designed to evaluate if a drug (evolocumab) entered tumors and made them more visible to anti-tumor immune cells (T cells) by increasing MHC-I expression on the cell surface. We found that increasing amounts of drug correlated with increasing visibility of tumor cells. In the tissue where drug levels were highest, we saw very high levels of anti-tumor T cells dispersing throughout, including next to areas of rapidly growing tumor. Based on these findings, we plan to conduct follow-up studies where evolocumab could be combined with other immunotherapies to treat patients with glioblastoma.

• The PuMP Trial: In this trial and in collaboration with Immvira therapeutics, we are testing MVR-C5252, a genetically engineered herpes virus that delivers IL-12 and an anti–PD-1 antibody fragment directly into brain tumors using convection-enhanced delivery (CED). We are analyzing longitudinal spinal fluid samples using single-cell RNA sequencing and immune profiling assays to monitor how treatments affect the immune system over time. This approach aims to destroy cancer cells and activate immune responses within the brain. Ongoing trial stages are testing repeated dosing with an implantable pump to optimize treatment before moving into Phase 2 studies.

• The PARAMETEr Trial: In collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo, we are studying patritumab deruxtecan (HER3-DXd), a novel HER3-targeted antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) designed to selectively deliver chemotherapy to cancer cells that express the HER3 protein. HER3 plays a critical role in the growth and survival of certain cancers, including those that spread to the brain. This trial enrolls patients with brain metastases and includes deep molecular profiling of blood, spinal fluid, and tumor tissue to understand how HER3-DXd behaves within the brain and identify factors that influence treatment response.

• The BRiTE Trial: BRiTE is a new highly potent drug for the treatment of glioblastoma that directs T cells to target the tumor-specific antigen EGFRvIII. This powerful new therapy can therefore harness the immune system to precisely kill tumor cells at very low concentrations. Work is ongoing with industry partners (Adaptin Bio) to begin first-in-human studies of BRiTE in patients with glioblastoma. This will evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and the preliminary efficacy (via radiological, clinical and tissue-based markers) of BRiTE.

For a more in-depth view into our project activities, check out our GitHub page.

Why our work matters

Glioblastoma is an aggressive brain tumor with an average survival of only 18–21 months, even with the best standard treatments. Many patients run out of options quickly. Our lab is working to change that by:

• Designing trials for newly diagnosed patients (like ETAPA and GIANT) before the disease worsens
• Bringing the latest science directly into patient care
• Building a future where better, personalized treatments are available for all brain tumor patients

Our Partnerships

The Khasraw lab collaborates extensively with researchers across Duke and beyond – including internationally – to drive innovation and expand the reach of our work. Many of our clinical trials are multicenter, enabling broader patient recruitment and more robust results. We’re deeply grateful to all of our partners for their shared commitment to improving patient outcomes.