When Linda Preston enrolled in a clinical trial for her glioblastoma diagnosis, she knew the odds were not in her favor. Glioblastoma is the most aggressive type of brain tumor in adults, and survival rates had barely improved in twenty years. But something unexpected happened during her treatment at the University of Alabama at Birmingham — her cancer stayed under control much longer than doctors expected.

Preston was part of a small but groundbreaking trial testing a new immunotherapy called DeltEx DRI. The results, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, showed that patients like her lived more than twice as long without their cancer getting worse.

Glioblastoma kills about 15,000 Americans each year. Standard treatment includes surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. But even with all three, the cancer usually returns within about seven months. That grim reality has stayed virtually unchanged since 2005, which is why researchers called this trial a "significant step forward."

DeltEx DRI works by taking a patient's own immune cells — called gamma-delta T cells — and genetically modifying them so they can survive chemotherapy. Normally, chemotherapy kills cancer cells but also weakens other immune cells. By making these cells chemotherapy-resistant, doctors can give stronger treatment while keeping the immune system active. The modified cells are then injected directly into the brain, where they hunt down and attack remaining tumor cells.

The trial enrolled 13 patients at UAB's O'Neal Cancer Center. They received up to six doses of DeltEx DRI alongside their regular chemotherapy. The treatment proved safe — none of the patients experienced serious side effects like cytokine release syndrome, a dangerous immune reaction that has complicated similar cell therapies.

The numbers told the story. Patients who received repeated doses went a median of 16.1 months without their cancer progressing. That compared to just 6.9 months for patients on standard treatment alone. Overall survival reached 19.5 months, compared to 14.6 months historically. Across all 13 patients, the median time without progression was 9.9 months.

"This is an important step in moving novel cell-based immunotherapy forward for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma," said Dr. Burt Nabors, a neuro-oncology specialist who led the trial at UAB.

The therapy was co-developed by Dr. Larry Lamb, former UAB professor and co-founder of IN8bio, the company now working to bring the treatment to more patients. The next phase of research will focus on producing more cells, safely delivering higher doses, and making the therapy even better at killing tumor cells.

For patients and families facing a glioblastoma diagnosis, this early data offers cautious hope that progress is finally within reach.