A US-based Nigerian doctor, Dr Chibawanye Ene, has won the 2019 Ronald L. Bittner Award on brain tumour research.
Ene was given the award at the 2019 American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) annual scientific meeting held from April 13 to April 17 in San Diego, a statement by the US Clinical Department of Applied Radiation Oncology said.
The 37-year-old is a native of Akpugo in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The statement said Ene won the award with his research work on ‘Anti-PD-L1 Immunotherapy Enhances Radiation-induced Abscopal Response in Glioblastoma’.
Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that helps the immune system fight cancer.
Glioblastoma, known fully as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) begins within the brain and is said to be the most aggressive cancer.
Signs and symptoms of glioblastoma may include headaches, personality changes, nausea, and stroke-related symptoms.
According to research, immunotherapy for glioblastoma has been largely unsuccessful in part because molecular heterogeneity drives selective elimination of only a subset of tumour cells.
Researchers are perfecting other treatment combinations that could be assessed in phase I human clinical trials.
