Projects we fund

Dr Beth Coyle, University of Nottingham The chemotherapy drug (temozolomide) used to treat adult high grade gliomas are less effective in children as sufficient concentrations of the drug are unable to infiltrate the brain to target the cancerous cells. The aim of this project is to test the effectiveness of a more potent modification of temozolomide delivered directly into the tumour using a technique called convection enhanced delivery (CED).

Professor Giuseppe Battaglia, UCL Professor Battaglia will lead a multidisciplinary team and use nanotechnology to develop an extremely small molecular vesicle loaded with therapeutic drugs. These vesicles are able to access the brain and deliver targeted drugs to eradicate brain tumours. The team will initially test the effectiveness of their nano-carrier with clinically available drugs which will allow the potential impact of their work to be realised in a much shorter timeframe.

Professor John Anderson, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health In collaboration with the University of California, San Francisco the researchers will use a novel immunotherapeutic approach to target diffuse midline gliomas. The aim of the project is to develop gene-modified T cells which target a protein found specifically on cancerous cells like DIPG. This approach is highly targeted and, if successful, will allow them to investigate the treatment in a clinical trial.

Dr Amin Hajitou, Imperial College London Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma is a type of brain tumour which is currently incurable. This project aims to use bacteriophages to deliver therapeutic nucleic acids to DIPG cells in a preclinical setting. If successful, this phage guided anticancer therapy can rapidly enter clinical trials and could also be applicable to other brainstem gliomas.

Professor Richard Grundy, Children’s Brain Tumour Research Centre, University of Nottingham Ependymoma is a devastating brain tumour that kills up to 40% of young patients, with little improvement over recent years. BIOmarkers of Ependymomas in Children and Adolescents (BIOMECA) is a unique partnership between leading European ependymoma specialists who are now collecting tumour samples from young patients being treated under the international ependymoma clinical trial. They are aiming to develop new risk categories and work towards the future personalisation of therapy.

Professor Andrew Peet, University of Birmingham Medulloblastomas are the most common childhood malignant brain tumours and only around 60% of young patients survive. Different medulloblastoma subtypes respond differently to treatment and rapid diagnosis is essential to aid treatment planning. Professor Peet is working with colleagues from other UK centres to develop a new tool to allow rapid, non-invasive diagnosis that can inform critical initial treatment decisions. Read more about Professor Peet’s research

Dr Steven Pollard, University of Edinburgh Paediatric glioblastoma is a devastating brain tumour that less than 20% of young patients survive. This collaborative project brings together research teams from the UK, Canada and Sweden to define the role of a recently discovered genetic mutation in paediatric glioblastoma and determine whether it represents a possible target for a new therapeutic approach. The team will also create new cellular models of the disease for on-going drug-discovery efforts. Read more about Dr Pollard’s research

Dr Juan Pedro Martinez-Barbera, UCL Institute of Child Health Paediatric craniopharyngioma is a brain tumour that has high survival but can leave survivors with very poor quality of life. New, targeted treatments are urgently needed but progress is hampered by our poor understanding of the biology of these tumours. This collaborative project brings together teams from the UK and Germany to help profile these tumours and work towards the development of improved treatments. Read more about Dr Martinez-Barbera’s reseach