Could a vaccine help fight childhood brain cancer? new trial underway
NCT ID NCT05096481
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This Phase 2 trial is testing a vaccine called PEP-CMV in 120 children and young adults with high-grade glioma, diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), or recurrent medulloblastoma. The vaccine targets a common virus (CMV) found in many brain tumors, aiming to boost the immune system to attack the cancer. Participants receive the vaccine along with standard treatments like radiation or chemotherapy.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- PEP-CMV vaccine (a synthetic peptide targeting CMV antigen, mixed with Montanide ISA-51 adjuvant)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this vaccine could offer a new immunotherapy option to help control aggressive pediatric brain tumors by training the immune system to attack cancer cells.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early Phase 2 trial with a small number of participants, so results may not apply to all patients. The vaccine may not shrink tumors or improve survival, and side effects from the immune response are possible.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
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Locations
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Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGChicago, Illinois, 60611, United States
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C.S. Mott Children's Hospital
RECRUITINGAnn Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
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Children's Hospital Colorado
RECRUITINGAurora, Colorado, 80045, United States
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Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
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Children's National Medical Center
RECRUITINGWashington D.C., District of Columbia, 20010, United States
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Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
RECRUITINGCincinnati, Ohio, 45229, United States
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Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGBoston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
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Duke Cancer Center
RECRUITINGDurham, North Carolina, 27710, United States
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Nationwide Children's Hospital
RECRUITINGColumbus, Ohio, 43205, United States
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Nicklaus Children's Hospital
RECRUITINGMiami, Florida, 33155, United States
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Seattle Children's Hospital
RECRUITINGSeattle, Washington, 98105, United States
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St. Louis Children's Hospital
RECRUITINGSt Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States
Contact Email: •••••@•••••
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Texas Children's Hospital
RECRUITINGHouston, Texas, 77030, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can trained immune cells outsmart brain tumors?
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- Could a parasite drug fight childhood brain tumors?
- Could an antiparasitic drug boost radiation against childhood brain tumors?