Could chemotherapy be delivered directly to a brain tumour rather than travelling around the whole body?
In this Aunty M Brain Tumours interview, I speak with Professor Christopher McConville, Chief Scientific Officer at CRISM Therapeutics, about ChemoSeed® — an implantable drug-delivery technology being developed initially for people with glioblastoma.
When we first recorded this interview, ChemoSeed was still in the earlier stages of development. Since then, there has been an important update: ChemoSeed has progressed into a Phase II clinical trial and patient recruitment began in August 2026.
Watch My Interview With Professor Christopher McConville About The ChemoSeed Implant
Professor McConville explains why getting chemotherapy into brain tumour tissue can be so difficult and how his research led to the development of ChemoSeed.
We also talk about glioblastoma research, the blood-brain barrier, drug delivery and why developing new approaches to brain tumour treatment remains so important.
What Is ChemoSeed?
ChemoSeed is a small biodegradable implant designed to deliver chemotherapy directly into or around cancerous tissue.
For glioblastoma, the technology is being developed so that ChemoSeeds containing the chemotherapy drug irinotecan can be placed into the tissue around the tumour cavity during brain surgery.
Instead of relying entirely on chemotherapy travelling through the bloodstream to reach the brain, the aim is to deliver the drug directly where microscopic tumour cells may remain following surgery.
The implant then gradually releases chemotherapy into the surrounding tissue.
Because the treatment is localised, researchers hope it may allow high levels of chemotherapy to reach the area that needs treatment while reducing exposure elsewhere in the body.
Importantly, ChemoSeed is still being evaluated in clinical research. Researchers need clinical trial results to establish its safety and effectiveness.
Why Could This Be Important for Glioblastoma?
Glioblastoma is a fast-growing and infiltrative brain tumour.
Even when a neurosurgeon removes all of the tumour that can safely be seen, microscopic tumour cells can remain within surrounding brain tissue.
One of the challenges researchers face is finding effective ways of reaching those remaining cells.
ChemoSeed has been designed to sit within the tumour resection margin and release chemotherapy locally over a sustained period.
This is the idea Professor McConville explains in our interview.
ChemoSeed Clinical Trial – 2026 Update
There has been significant progress since our original conversation.
CRISM Therapeutics received UK regulatory and ethical approval for a Phase II study investigating irinotecan-ChemoSeed in people with surgically resectable glioblastoma.
Then, on 20 August 2026, CRISM announced that the first clinical trial site had been formally activated and patient recruitment had started.
The trial is investigating the safety, tolerability and effectiveness of irinotecan-ChemoSeed when the implants are placed directly into the resection margin during glioblastoma surgery.
The study is registered as NCT07356973.
This does not yet mean ChemoSeed is an approved treatment for glioblastoma. The clinical trial is an important part of establishing whether the approach is safe and effective for patients.
Helpful Information
Treatment being researched: Irinotecan-ChemoSeed®
Brain tumour: Glioblastoma
Type of treatment: Localised chemotherapy drug-delivery implant
When is it placed? During surgery to remove the tumour
Clinical development: Phase II clinical study
Clinical trial: NCT07356973
Current update: Patient recruitment began in August 2026
About Professor Christopher McConville
Professor Christopher McConville is Chief Scientific Officer at CRISM Therapeutics and Professor of Biomedical Innovation at Ulster University.
His research includes drug formulation, implantable drug-delivery systems and developing ways of delivering cancer treatments directly to tumour tissue.
In our conversation, he explains not only how ChemoSeed works but some of the wider challenges scientists face when developing new treatments for brain tumours.
Watch On YouTube: The ChemoSeed Implant
Aunty M’s Note
When I first interviewed Professor McConville, ChemoSeed was still being developed before this Phase II clinical trial.
I think it is important to keep older interviews like this online because they allow us to see how brain tumour research develops over time.
I have therefore updated this page with the latest information while keeping the original interview available to watch.
As always, information on Aunty M Brain Tumours is intended to help people understand and explore brain tumour topics. It should not replace advice from your own neuro-oncology or medical team.
