A scan change may show early if a brain tumor drug is working
Original title: Early increase in apparent diffusion coefficient predicts favorable response to Dordaviprone (ONC201) therapy in H3K27M-mutant diffuse midline glioma.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
This was a look back at scans from patients already treated, and the scan measure still needs to be tested in a new study.
The short version
An MRI change in the first weeks may show whether dordaviprone is helping.
What was studied. Researchers looked back at scans and records from patients with H3K27M-mutant diffuse midline glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary who were treated with dordaviprone (ONC201). Data from 83 patients was reviewed by a central team, and the final analysis included 38 patients who all got the same dose and schedule.
What they found. Measuring the tumor's size early did not predict how long patients lived. A special MRI measure did. Patients whose tumors showed more water movement by cycle 3, meaning fewer packed cells, lived 732 days, compared with 360 days for patients whose tumors showed less water movement. The time before the tumor grew again was 334 days, compared with 110 days.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Dordaviprone is already approved for this tumor, but it does not help everyone the same way. If this finding holds up, a regular MRI could show early on whether the drug is working for you. That could help you and your doctor decide sooner whether to stay on it.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a new treatment, and it is not a promise of a cure. It was a look back at scans from patients who had already been treated, not a study set up in advance to test this scan measure. The authors say it still needs to be tested in a new study before it can guide care. A scan change also cannot tell any one person how they will do.
Source: PubMed, July 21, 2026 · Read the original
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