NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., April 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A novel glioblastoma therapy developed by Rosalind Franklin University Helix 51 incubator company UP Oncolytics showed encouraging preclinical results in two studies presented at the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Special Conference on Brain Cancer, held March 23–25 in Philadelphia.

The studies highlight the potential of an oncolytic virus-based therapy to both predict treatment response and drive tumor regression in glioblastoma (GBM), one of the deadliest forms of cancer.

GBM remains highly resistant to treatment, with approximately 13,000 new U.S. cases each year and a median survival of just 14 months. Despite broader advances in oncology, no new FDA-approved therapies for GBM have emerged in the past two decades.

UP Oncolytics’ presentations focused on its lead therapy using Zika virus-based oncolytic technology for gliomas:

Predicting treatment response: In the study “Transcriptomic Prediction of Zika Virus Susceptibility in Glioblastoma Cell Lines Using Feature Selection and Machine Learning Approaches,” researchers used machine learning to identify and understand genetic and molecular markers associated with tumor sensitivity or resistance to therapy.

“The ability to predict a tumor’s response to treatment ensures patients receive therapies most likely to be effective for their specific disease,” said Anna Lundeen, graduate student with UP Oncolytics.

Demonstrating Therapeutic Impact: The study, “Low-neurovirulence wild-type Zika virus strains induce durable tumor regression and survival benefit in patient-derived glioblastoma models,” showed complete tumor remission and prolonged survival in in vivo GBM models following treatment.

The research was conducted, in part, in collaboration with RFU’s Center for Cancer Cell Biology, Immunology and Infection, and Center for Proteomics and Molecular Therapeutics, with additional support from the university’s research cores. Ongoing collaboration with RFU is further supported by a recent Illinois Innovation Voucher Program award through the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

“We are pleased with the promising results of these two studies,” said Parvez Akhtar, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of UP Oncolytics. “They promise a new approach to effectively treating GBM tumors while minimizing impact on normal cells. We are working hard to bring this advance to patients.”

Janice Urban, PhD, RFU Interim Executive Vice President for Research, added, “UP Oncolytics continues to meet key development milestones, and we are optimistic that this new approach to treating intractable cancer is on the horizon for GBM patients.”

About UP Oncolytics

UP Oncolytics, Inc. was founded in 2022 by Dr. Richard Rovin and Dr. Parvez Akhtar. The company is developing oncolytic virus treatments for rare and resistant cancers like glioblastoma. Learn more at uponc.com.

About RFU

Rosalind Franklin University Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science embodies the spirit of inquiry and excellence modeled by its namesake Dr. Rosalind Franklin, whose Photo 51 was crucial to solving the structure of DNA. Recognized for its research in areas including neuroscience, brain-related diseases, inherited disorders, diabetes, obesity, and gait and balance, RFU encompasses the Chicago Medical School, College of Health Professions, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine. Learn more at rosalindfranklin.edu.

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