Behnam Badie Lab
Dr. Behnam Badie is a physician-scientist with clinical interests in the surgical management of malignant and benign brain tumors, including gliomas, pituitary tumors, meningiomas, skull base tumors, acoustic neuromas and other nervous system tumors. In addition to caring for his patients, he also dedicates his time to basic and translational research that seeks to find a cure for malignant brain tumors.
Key research areas of his lab include:
RAGE Pathway Targeting: Exploring the role of the RAGE receptor in neuro-inflammation and cancer progression. His lab is developing:
Cell-penetrating oligos to silence RAGE in gliomas.
Novel small molecule RAGE inhibitors to target neuro-inflammation and enhance therapeutic
outcomes.
Combination Therapies: Optimizing RAGE inhibitors for use alone or alongside immunotherapy to enhance anti-tumor effects.
Immune Cell-Based Drug Delivery: Investigating microglia as vehicles for targeted therapeutic delivery to brain tumors.
CAR T Cell Therapy: Collaborating with Dr. Christine E. Brown’s lab to apply CAR T cell technology to malignant brain tumors.
Minimally Invasive Surgery: Development of ReMiDe, a novel surgical instrument enabling image-guided tumor removal through < 1 cm incisions.
Behnam Badie, M.D. is Chief of the Division of Neurosurgery and Co-Director of the Brain Tumor Program at City of Hope, specializing in surgical neuro-oncology. A highly experienced neurosurgeon, he has performed thousands of brain tumor operations and led pioneering clinical trials focused on delivering therapeutics directly into the brain. As a physician-scientist, Dr. Badie combines patient care with cutting-edge research aimed at treating malignant and benign brain tumors.
Lab Members
Research
Glioblastoma (GBM) is highly lethal due to therapy resistance and immune evasion. RAGE, a protein involved in inflammation and chronic diseases, promotes GBM growth and immune suppression. Blocking RAGE in models slows tumor progression and improves immunotherapy. Our goal is to develop multimodal strategies targeting RAGE in both tumor cells and the microenvironment to overcome resistance.
Genetic RAGE ablation reduces GBM growth and creates an immune-permissive environment. Our team is designing antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) to silence RAGE signaling and will test these in combination with immunotherapy to enhance treatment efficacy.
Brain swelling in tumor patients is commonly treated with steroids, which have harmful side effects and hinder immunotherapy. The lab is developing safer drugs to replace steroids, with a promising candidate currently being optimized for clinical trials.
A new robotic instrument is being developed to make neurosurgery less invasive and enable precise delivery of therapies like drugs or CAR T cells directly to brain tumors. This approach aims to improve treatment effectiveness while minimizing damage to healthy tissue.
Support
Please contact Megan French at [email protected] if you are interested in directly supporting Dr. Badie’s research.