Gregory Friedman, MD

About Dr. Gregory Friedman, MD

Gregory Friedman, MD is a professor of pediatrics and Section Chief of pediatric neuro-oncology at the University of Texas MD Cancer Center. He specializes in pediatric neuro-oncology and conducting pediatric brain tumor research, with a special interest in pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGGs).

About Dr. Friedman’s Research

Pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGGs) are the leading cause of brain tumor-related death in children today. Inventive approaches are desperately needed to improve outcomes. Dr. Gregory Friedman’s research aims to improve outcomes and quality of life for patients afflicted with pHGGs.

His exploration of immunotherapy with genetically altered cold sore virus (HSV) “G207” offers an innovative, targeted, less-toxic approach for pHGG. G207 is unable to harm normal cells but can infect and kill tumor cells while also stimulating the patient’s own immune system to attack the tumor.

In Dr. Friedman’s recently completed Phase 1 pHGG trial of G207, this therapy was found to be safe with evidence of dramatic responses in some patients. The therapy turned “cold” tumors with few immune cells to “hot” with many immune cells, which is a critical step for an effective immunotherapy. While the results proved very promising, Dr. Friedman’s team learned that, to achieve even more long-term responses, they must develop combination therapies with G207 to maintain the immune attack on the tumor.

Since 2022, Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation has awarded Dr. Friedman a Translational Research Grant to support his goal of significantly enhancing G207 therapy by combining it with Barinthus Biotherapeutics’ (formerly Vaccitech and Avidea Technologies) novel “Syntholytic” drugs, which help eliminate tumor cells and increase the immune attack on the tumor.

Dr. Friedman believes that this combination will produce long-lasting responses in pHGG. At the completion of the experiments, Dr. Friedman will have identified a lead combination therapy to advance clinically, and we will have generated vital information on how to maximize the immune system’s response to the tumor.

Dr. Friedman’s project helps fulfill Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation’s mission by accelerating the bench-to-bedside translation of leading-edge research of an innovative immunotherapy designed to improve outcomes and quality of life for children with pHGG.