Peiwen Chen, PhD

Inside the Tumor: How Certain Cells May Hold the Key To Beating Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive and deadly types of brain cancer. Despite decades of research, treatments haven’t significantly improved patient survival in over 40 years. While immunotherapy has been a breakthrough for many other cancers, it hasn’t worked well for glioblastoma. That’s largely because about half of the tumor is made up of immunosuppressive cells, called macrophages, which block the body’s ability to fight the cancer.

Peiwen Chen, PhD, was awarded a VeloSano grant to look into how macrophages suppress the immune environment in the tumor and enable it to withstand immunotherapy. His research aims to discover why glioblastoma is so difficult to treat and explore new ways to overcome its resistance to immune-based therapies.

“We are trying to understand why macrophages can infiltrate the tumor environment and, once they are in there, how they can induce immune suppressive environments to make the immunotherapy not work in this type of cancer,” says Dr. Chen. “The mechanism for this is not quite clear.”

Dr. Chen’s work could have a far-reaching impact not only on glioblastoma patients but also on those battling other cancers like breast cancer and melanoma, where similar immune-suppressive mechanisms may be at play. Although this will be his first time riding in Bike to Cure, Dr. Chen knows how this collective effort makes translational research possible.

“I think it’s so important—not just for the funding—but because it allows us to join the community,” says Dr. Chen. “Connecting to patients and the community is so important.”

At Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Chen has found a place where bold ideas can take root and early-stage research can thrive. The collaborative environment not only fosters innovation but also encourages cross-disciplinary partnerships that accelerate discovery. Through VeloSano, Dr. Chen is empowered to pursue high-risk, high-reward research that could redefine how we treat glioblastoma.

“The environment is fantastic, and the support at Cleveland Clinic is great,” says Dr. Chen. “The people are nice. Also, with federal funding being limited, I think the VeloSano grant is especially needed. I am very excited for this funding.”