Targeting core malignant programs in pediatric high-grade glioma
Pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGG) are very aggressive brain tumors with poor prognosis. Unfortunately, clinical trials in the last few decades have failed to produce treatments that work for this cancer. One of the reasons for the lack of good treatments is that not all cells in a tumor are equal, and current treatments are not able to kill the most important cells for pHGG. In fact, we now know that only some cells have the characteristics required to fuel tomorrow growth. We now have applied a technique that allows usto look at single cells in tumors. With this approach, we have been able to understand what makes these unique cells special.
Project Goals
In this application, we want to use the information we gained to "reprogram" these special cancer cellsso that they stop dividing and stop growing the tumor. We will perform sequencing-based and functional assays with cells we isolate from patients to test ways to reprogram these cells. Our ultimate goal is fundamentally change these special cells using molecules that interfere with their ability to divide. These molecules will also be tested in mice to understand if we are on the right track to one day attempt similar treatments in patients.
