| Project title | A novel approach for DIPG therapy: targeting nucleosome partners of H3K27M |
|---|---|
Grant Amount | $345,000 |
Institution | Children’s Cancer Institute |
Investigator Team | Early Career Fellow Dr. Yolanda Sanguino and Supervisor Dr. Fatima Valdes Mora, with Investigators Dr. Matthew Dunn, A/Prof. Joel Mackay, and Dr. Mohamed Fareh. |
Grant Type | 2021 Early Career Fellowship |
Years | 2021-2024 |
DIPG is the deadliest brain tumour in children, with only 10% of children surviving two years post diagnosis. There is no cure for this tumour, and the current treatments are palliative. Thus, fundamental research to understand DIPG biology and to suggest novel and targeted treatments is necessary.
This project will generate critical new knowledge on how the driver mutation of DIPG, H3K27M, orchestrates oncogenesis, and identify new targetable partners of this mutation, which will enable the generation of novel targeted therapies for the incurable DIPG.
Dr. Sanguino will utilise new inhibitors, generated by Cancer Therapeutics CRC, that specifically target a potential H3K27M nucleosome partner. If any other complementary targets are found, novel drugs will be developed in collaboration with the Children’s Cancer Institute’s initiative called ‘THerapeutic INnovations for Kids’ (THINK).
The Investigator Team are part of multiple international and national initiatives and clinical trials which focus on high-risk paediatric tumours including DIPG, such as the PRISM clinical trial, the Zero Childhood Cancer Program and the Preclinical Pacific Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium (PNOC). Thanks to this translational involvement, our new findings are ensured a rapid translational path towards drug development (if needed) and/or clinical trials.
“I am honoured by the trust that Cure Brain Cancer Foundation has placed in me. This Fellowship will jumpstart my career at Children’s Cancer Institute and allows me to make a significant contribution to the development of innovative strategies to treat brain cancer in children. Every day I give it my all working towards a treatment that will give these children a fighting chance.”