At a lab at the University of North Carolina, student researchers dissect mice brains.
It's delicate work, overseen by Shawn Hingtgen.
Dr Hingtgen is leading a cutting edge stem cell research team that's trying to fight the brain cancer, glioblastoma.
"The current life expectancy for GBM patients is only around 12 to 15 months and that number sadly hasn't really improved in almost the last 30 years, so we really think there needs to be and there must be a better way to treat this disease,” he said.
Dr Hingtgen's team is using a unique method - converting skin cells into stem cells.
The researchers load the stem cells with anti-cancer drugs and grow them on a paper-like scaffolding structure that mimics matrices of the brain.
"In our initial testing, we were able to extend the survival of mice with human brain tumors from 25 days to almost 65 days," Dr Hingtgen said.
“So we really think this approach is feasible. It checks off all the marks that we need. It appears to be safe, the cells can home to cancer, and most importantly we can start to eradicate that disease.
"We think it's opening the door or creating a path towards where we can truly now create a clinically relevant personalized neural stem cell therapy to treat brain cancer."
Clinical trials are expected to begin in two years.
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