Funded Projects

Peptide Vaccine Based Immunotherapy for Pediatric Low-Grade Glioma

During the last decade, researchers have gained significant preclinical and clinical experience with immunotherapy for adult gliomas, and propose to extend these insights to the treatment of childhood gliomas, based on the research team’s observation of substantial similarities between these tumors in their expression of glioma-associated antigens (GAAs). Principal investigator Dr. Ian Pollack and colleagues at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh propose the use of a GAA-based vaccine cocktail, combined with an immunoadjuvant (poly-ICLC), for children with progressive low-grade gliomas.

• Principal Investigators Dr. Ian Pollack and colleagues, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh

Optimizing Targeted Inhibition to Overcome Tumor Resistance and/or Rebound Growth

This project aims to help researchers understand how interactions between a child’s developing brain and pediatric low-grade gliomas (pLGGs) affect the growth trajectory of the tumors and how MAPK inhibitors affect this interaction. Researchers also aim to understand how plasticity across cell states within pLGGs influences patients’ response and rebound to targeted inhibitors. Ultimately, this knowledge will be used to determine strategies to optimize the use of MAPK inhibitors to induce apoptosis rather than dormancy of pLGG cells, while minimizing effects on brain development.

• Award $190,047 over 1 year (2022-2023)
• Principal Investigators Dr. Mimi Bandopadhayay, Dana Farber Cancer Institute
• Funding Partners Jack’s Drive55

Optimizing Outcomes in PLGG Survivorship Study

Pediatric low grade gliomas (PLGG) are the most common childhood brain cancer. Although there are higher survival rates and less severe cognitive complications relative to other pediatric brain tumors, the cognitive outcomes among PLGG are variable and disruption in cognitive abilities and everyday functioning may be subtle in some PLGG survivors.

• Award $364,000 over 3 years (2019-2023)
• Principle Investigators Dr. Tobey Macdonald, Children’s Hospital of Atlanta; Dr. Krista Hardy, Children’s National Medical Center, Dr. Tricia King, Georgia State University Medical Center

Novel Universal Classification of Childhood Low-grade Gliomas Using Clinical, Pathological and Molecular Methods

The recent progress in both molecular understanding and the exciting preliminary results of targeted therapies in pediatric low-grade gliomas (PLGG) created both hope for a new era in front of us but also highlighted urgent issues that will be required to be addressed in the near future to optimize and ensure progress in the field.

Neural Stem Cells and Low Grade Glioma

Building on an initial grant awarded in 2013 focused on the development of human neural stem cell models of PLGA, this study focuses on further exploration in defining and accumulating neural stem cell models for PLGA brain tumors. The central hypothesis of this proposal is that suppression of oncogene-induced senescence in human neural stem cells will allow these cells to tolerate constitutive activation of the RAS/BRAF/MAP kinase pathway, leading to increased growth in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo. These models will be used to screen for new drug targets that can decrease the growth of PLGA by attacking specific pathways.

MRI Goggles to Improve Pediatric Patients' Diagnostic Experience

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a physically painless diagnostic tool used to identify and monitor the treatment of brain tumors and other diseases. However, MRI scans can be noisy and uncomfortable for restless, anxious, and claustrophobic patients. Keeping children still long enough to obtain quality images without sedation is often challenging. This grant will support the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital which will be offering noise-canceling, video goggles that provide a cinema experience for pediatric patients undergoing an MRI.

• Award $49,225 over 1 year (2022-2023)
• Project Lead East Tennessee Children’s Hospital (ETCH)

Mouse Modeling Core for Invivo Drug Testing

In addition to supporting a doctorate level scientist to create mouse models of low-grade astrocytoma and to conduct entry-level tests on these cells for drugs that may benefit children with LGAs, this project led by Dr. Chuck Stiles at Dana Farber Cancer Institute takes the next steps in in testing cells for drugs outside the culture dish.

• Principal Investigator Dr. Chuck Stiles, Dana Farber Cancer Institute

Molecular Prognostic Markers for Low-Grade Gliomas

This study will apply the prognostic markers in childhood high-grade gliomas to analyze low-grade gliomas. Researchers led by principal investigator Dr. Ian F. Pollack, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, will evaluate a series of hypothesis-based markers linked with glioma progression in previous studies, such as MGMT status, proliferation index and genetic alterations.

• Principal Investigator Dr. Ian F. Pollack, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh

Molecular Pathology and Genetics of Low Grade Glioma, Focus on Diffuse Astrocytoma (WHO Grade II)

In a collaborative initiative between St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and University of London, this project led by principal investigator Dr. David Ellison is a comprehensive study of grade II LGGs with a view to deriving a molecular diagnostic/stratification system and identifying novel markers for the development of targeted therapies.

• Principal Investigator Dr. David Ellison, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Molecular JPA Study

This study by Dr. KK Wong at MD Anderson Cancer Center 1) analyzes the gene expression profiles in 40-60 cases of subtotally resected JPAs located at the midline region to test whether midline located JPA also forms two subgroups with one group more aggressive, and (2) identifies prognostic markers that can predict the likelihood of progression in subtotally resected JPAs using statistical methods.

• Principal Investigator Dr. KK Wong, MD Anderson Cancer Center