Damon Runyon Researchers

Glioblastomas are the most common and aggressive primary brain tumors in adults. Despite intensive treatment with therapies such as radiation, these tumors inevitably recur, and fewer than 10% of glioblastoma patients live longer than 5 years after diagnosis. Dr. Wahl and his research team have found that metabolites called purines, which are the building blocks that make up DNA, make glioblastomas resistant to treatments like radiation. Dr. Wahl will use patient samples and mouse models to determine what regulates glioblastoma purine metabolism and whether inhibition of these metabolic pathways can make radiation more effective. He will also perform a clinical study to directly measure these metabolic pathways in patients with glioblastoma.