Focused ultrasound with the drug nivolumab for children with brain tumors that have come back or grown
Original title: NgFUS NIVO: NeuroNavigation-Guided Focused Ultrasound With Nivolumab in Relapsed and Progressive DMG and Other High Grade Brain Tumors
How far along is this research?
This is a trial that is enrolling or has been updated. It is not a finding yet.
This is an early safety test in people, and it is the first step of testing this approach.
Status: Not yet recruiting. It has not opened yet. Ask your care team to watch for it if it looks like a fit.
The trial team last updated this record on . Always check the trial page for the latest.
The short version
This study tests whether sound waves aimed at the brain can help an immune drug get in, and whether that is safe.
Who this trial is for. This study is for children whose 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 (DMG) in the brainstem, or another high grade brain tumor, has come back or is growing. It tests a drug called nivolumab given into a vein right after focused ultrasound with tiny bubbles is used to briefly open the blood-brain barrier, the shield that keeps most drugs out of the brain. There are two groups. One group is for children with brainstem DMG. The other is for children whose high grade tumor needs surgery.
Where it stands. This trial has not reported results. Its main goal is to see if 3 cycles of nivolumab given this way are safe and can be done. It also plans to take an early look at how the tumor responds and at effects on the immune system. Those answers are not in yet.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: For now, this is a study, not care your own doctor can give you. If your child's tumor has come back or is growing, you could ask their care team whether this study is worth looking into. The team can explain what taking part would involve.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean this treatment works. A trial is a test. Doctors run it because they do not yet know if it helps or how safe it is. Being in a trial is not a guarantee of any benefit. It is not a promise of a cure. Whether anyone can join is decided by the trial team.
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, July 23, 2026 · Read the original
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