Author: Sushmitha Sriramulu

Drs. Maria Castro and Pedro Lowenstein are featured in Michigan Today for their pioneering work in brain cancer research. The article highlights their decades-long collaboration, which led to a first-in-human clinical trial and showcases the power of team science in driving innovation.

The collaborative research between Dr. Maria G. Castro’s and Dr. Anna Schwendeman’s labs at the University of Michigan, featured in Health Lab, showcases their groundbreaking nanoparticle-based therapy for glioblastoma. The study also highlights how combining their approach with radiation therapy significantly enhances survival outcomes in mouse models.

A recent collaborative study from the Castro and Schwendeman labs showcases the therapeutic potential of HDL nanodiscs delivering LXR agonists, demonstrating reduced tumor burden and long-term survival benefits in a mouse glioma model. Published in Small (2025).

This new chapter presents in vitro assays to evaluate T cell function under immunosuppressive conditions, offering insights into how immunotherapies can restore anti-tumor T cell responses.

A new biodegradable delivery system enables long-term, localized release of monoclonal antibodies, showing promising results in preclinical models of wet AMD and glioblastoma. This platform could expand antibody-based therapies to hard-to-reach tissues.

An expert commentary in Cancer Cell highlights emerging advancements in oncolytic virus therapies, including engineered viral platforms and delivery strategies showing promise against aggressive cancers such as brain tumors.