Grant: Operating Grant

Brain tumours including astrocytomas are the most frequent solid cancers and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality and morbidity in children. The focus of my research program is to improve our understanding of these deadly brain tumours and identify relevant therapeutic targets, as little is known about what make them grow and develop. We collected a sizeable number of samples from all grade and age astrocytomas, a unique collection from across the world and established an international collaborative network. Using state of the art tools we explored the genome (DNA), epigenome (what protects and regulates our DNA) and transcriptome (messengers from our DNA) of high- and low-grade tumors. Our results demonstrated that adult and pediatric tumours are distinct and need to be studied separately. Importantly, we identified targets that are driving pediatric high grade astrocytomas and aim herein to further investigat their function. The proposed work aims to identify factors rapidly amenable to targeted intervention tailored to the tumor biology. Our ultimate goal is to provide in the near future novel therapeutic avenues to children that currently have limited options for clinical trials.