Grant: Project Grant

Childhood brain cancers are a major concern, being the leading solid cancer in kids. Sadly, for high-grade gliomas only about 10% of young patients survive for 3 years after diagnosis, despite brain surgery, radiation, and several lines of chemotherapy. Our team discovered vital changes at the origin of these deadly brain tumors. Alterations in histone genes, that control tissue growth and function, especially in the brain, are at the core of these cancers. This sheds light on why they don't respond to treatment and why they form in specific areas of the brain at specific patient ages. Our goal is to develop targeted therapies based on our findings. We have identified several vulnerabilities in these tumors that will be explored in our pre-clinical models to validate their action and the optimal therapies that can be rapidly used at the bedside. This will give doctors new strategies to treat young patients, lessening the burden on families and healthcare. We're determined to boost survival rates and the overall quality of life for kids with brain tumors. Through this research, we're hoping to find more effective drugs and personalized treatments for these serious and life-altering cancers.