There is very little in vivo electrophysiological study of glioma-infiltrated brain. Techniques to do so can be adapted from current research in fields such as epilepsy, where we have developed methods to use stimulation to vary cortical excitability, called neuromodulation. We seek to apply these methods to patients undergoing surgery for brain cancer. We will measure and then modulate electrical activity in glioma-infiltrated brain, before resection of tumor tissue. Resected tissue will be examined at the single-cell level to identify changes induced by neuromodulation. We expect to see that neuromodulation can induce changes that indicate cells are less excitable, and less likely to contribute to tumor growth. Examining these changes in detail may provide valuable insight into the development of drugs to treat brain cancer, or potentially ways to use electrical stimulation to slow the growth of gliomas.
Sponsor: Kuni Foundation