Axel Schonthal, PhD

The Schönthal lab performs preclinical cancer research and pursues anticancer drug development. The main focus is on brain malignancies, which include primary brain cancers (such as glioblastoma) and secondary brain cancers (such as melanoma or breast cancer that has spread to the brain). The work is done in collaboration with Dr. Thomas Chen, a neurosurgeon and Director of the USC Brain Tumor Group. This joint approach supports interdisciplinary efforts that translate laboratory findings to patient applications.

• Potent Therapeutic Activity of NEO212 in Preclinical Models of Human and Canine Leukaemia and Lymphoma. Vet Comp Oncol. 2025 Sep; 23(3):412-423.. View in PubMed
• Patient with recurrent grade 4 astrocytoma responding favorably to intranasal delivery of NEO100, highly pure perillyl alcohol: illustrative case. J Neurosurg Case Lessons. 2025 Mar 17; 9(11).. View in PubMed
• Bringing intranasal drug delivery for malignancies in the brain to market. Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2025 Mar; 22(3):311-314.. View in PubMed
• Activation of Epstein-Barr Virus’ Lytic Cycle in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells by NEO212, a Conjugate of Perillyl Alcohol and Temozolomide. Cancers (Basel). 2024 Feb 26; 16(5).. View in PubMed
• From the groin to the brain: a transfemoral path to blood-brain barrier opening. Oncotarget. 2023 05 04; 14:413-416.. View in PubMed
• NEO212, a Perillyl Alcohol-Temozolomide Conjugate, Triggers Macrophage Differentiation of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells and Blocks Their Tumorigenicity. Cancers (Basel). 2022 Dec 09; 14(24).. View in PubMed
• Enhanced brain delivery and therapeutic activity of trastuzumab after blood-brain barrier opening by NEO100 in mouse models of brain-metastatic breast cancer. Neuro Oncol. 2021 10 01; 23(10):1656-1667.. View in PubMed
• Potentially Curative Therapeutic Activity of NEO212, a Perillyl Alcohol-Temozolomide Conjugate, in Preclinical Cytarabine-Resistant Models of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Cancers (Basel). 2021 Jul 06; 13(14).. View in PubMed
• NEO100 enables brain delivery of blood‒brain barrier impermeable therapeutics. Neuro Oncol. 2021 01 30; 23(1):63-75.. View in PubMed
• Phase I trial of intranasal NEO100, highly purified perillyl alcohol, in adult patients with recurrent glioblastoma. Neurooncol Adv. 2021 Jan-Dec; 3(1):vdab005.. View in PubMed

• Chen, Thomas
• Zlokovic, Berislav
• Lenz, Heinz-Josef
• Cohen-Gadol, Aaron
• Wiemels, Joseph