Diffuse midline glioma (DMG), is a rare but devastating type of childhood brain tumour. It grows in the midline between the two halves of the brain which makes it particularly hard to treat and sadly, there is no cure currently available and the prognosis for patients is poor. But there is hope for the future thanks to people, like you, who choose to support international cancer research to better understand DMG.
Raising awareness of DMG is so important to our family because it took our beautiful Charlie from us. Now, we never want another family to feel as alone or unprepared as we did.
What is diffuse midline glioma (DMG) and why is it so hard to cure?
DMG is a rare but deadly type of brain tumour that mainly affects children, though adults can also be affected. ‘Diffuse’ means that it has spreads to other tissues; ‘midline’ refers to the middle line of the brain; and ‘glioma’ refers to the type of brain cell, the glial cell, where the tumours begin.
DMG was previously known as diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma or DIPG so you may also still hear these used.
DMGs grow fast and invade healthy brain tissue, making them very challenging to treat. Sadly, this type of cancer is currently incurable, with an average life expectancy for patients of less than a year.
Charlie's story
Charlie, aged just 11, loved football, being with his friends, and making people laugh. He was diagnosed with a diffuse midline glioma (DMG) in June 2025, and died at home less than a year later, on March 2nd 2026.
Now, raising awareness of DMG and the urgent need for more research is something that is incredibly important to his parents, because they never want another family to feel as alone and unprepared as they did when this awful disease took Charlie from them.
The more we understand cancer, the easier it is to cure. But rare cancers such as DMG are often less well understood and under-funded, and low patient populations can make it harder to carry out clinical trials or to investigate tissue samples.
Your support could help us start new cures into any type of cancer - including DMG - so that one day, no life is cut short by this disease.
DMG remains one of the most underfunded and least understood childhood cancers. For decades, the prognosis for children diagnosed with these tumours has remained heartbreakingly poor. While radiation therapy can temporarily slow tumour growth and improve symptoms, it is not a cure. Research is vital. Every breakthrough starts with awareness and funding.
Teaming up to accelerate new cures
To make your donations go further, we’ve teamed up with The Brain Tumour Charity to fund vital discovery research about diffuse midline glioma.
Dr Maria Alieva is investigating how DMG starts and spreads. Research suggests that the area of the brain where DMGs start, called the pontine region, plays a big role in driving how these tumours progress, but the specifics remain a mystery. Dr Alieva and her team hope to discover more about the development of DMG to pave the way to new treatments.
We are also jointly funding Professor Luciano Di Croce and his team (pictured) to explore how certain mutations are involved in DMG to search for a new target for treatments. Research into cures for rare cancers like DMG can be particularly challenging but the team hope that this vital research will take us one step closer to more effective and lifesaving treatments for children.
Too many children and families are affected by this disease and more research is urgently needed. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Worldwide Cancer Research. By coming together we’re bringing hope for a brighter future where children and families are no longer faced with the devastating impact of diffuse midline glioma.
Your diffuse midline glioma FAQs:
What causes diffuse midline glioma?
The exact cause of diffuse midline glioma is not yet completely understood, but a lot of cases are related to a particular mutation in the DNA. A tiny protein called histone H3 normally helps ensure that long strands of DNA, which contain our genes, are packaged up and working correctly inside cells. When the H3 gene is mutated, the protein becomes faulty, which causes disruptions in cells that can lead to cancer. Research to better understanding how these mutations cause DMG, or what other factors may be involved, is vital to help patients around the world.
How is diffuse midline glioma diagnosed?
Diffuse midline glioma is diagnosed by exploring symptoms and test results. An MRI scan can help find out the location of the tumour and show particular features to help know what type of tumour somebody has. In some cases a biopsy is used to remove a sample of the tumour to examine in a lab.
How common is diffuse midline glioma?
Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) affects just around 1 to 2 in every 100,000 people, mostly children, making it iso rare that statistics can be hard to find. But we do know that the cancer affects around 100 to 300 hundred children every year in Europe, and the same in the USA.
What is the difference between DMG and DIPG?
DMG stands for diffuse midline glioma, a type of brain tumour. It used to be called DIPG (diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma) so you may still hear medical professionals use either of these names.
How is diffuse midline glioma treated?
DMG tumours tend to spread out through the brain and spinal cord, instead of growing as one solid lump. Unfortunately, this means surgery is not usually possible, which in turn means doctors must rely on radiotherapy to treat the disease. Sadly, this treatment option does not always work well. Research is urgently needed to find new ways to treat people with this cancer.
Can diffuse midline glioma be cured?
Diffuse midline glioma is currently incurable. Patients often only live for less than a year and progress is urgently needed to help improve survival rates.
What research is happening in diffuse midline glioma?
Thanks to Curestarters like you, international cancer research means we are discovering more about DMG and how to stop it. Even better we’ve teamed up with The Brain Tumour Charity to make your donations go further.
Professor Luciano Di Croce and his team in Spain are looking for clues towards new targeted treatments for DMG and Dr Maria Alieva is investigating how the disease starts and spreads so that we can do more to stop it.
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