Anaplastic astrocytoma, or AA, is a malignant brain tumor that develops from certain star-shaped brain cells called astrocytes that make up the brain’s supportive tissue. Tumors that form from these cells are called gliomas. Similar to glioblastoma, astrocytomas tend to have tentacle-like projections that grow into surrounding tissue, which makes them difficult to completely remove surgically. They can appear in various parts of the brain and nervous system, including the cerebellum, the cerebrum, central areas of the brain, the brainstem and the spinal cord.
AA is categorized as a grade 3 glioma and is therefore included within the group of high grade gliomas, or HGGs.
Tocagen is developing a product candidate to treat GBM and AA which is currently under evaluation in a Phase 3 clinical trial, Toca 5. The Toca 5 trial is fully enrolled and not recruiting patients.
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