Unlocking the origin: what is the role of neural cells in the development of childhood brain cancer?
Cancer types:
Brain cancer
Childhood cancer
Project period:
–
Research institute:
University of New South Wales
Award amount:
£223,610
Location:
Australia
Dr Ip and his team are hoping to unlock the origin of childhood brain cancer by studying the precursors of neural cells. With this innovative research they aim to find new targets for treatment so that new cures can be offered to children with this disease.
Why is this research needed?
Dr Ip and his team study an aggressive form of childhood brain cancer, called paediatric high-grade glioma (pHGG). This type of brain cancer is the leading cause of childhood cancer-related deaths.
There are currently no effective treatments for this childhood brain cancer. At the moment, the only treatment option is high-dose radiation, but tragically most patients still pass away within one year of diagnosis. Previous research has focussed on the tumour cells themselves, but Dr Ip and his team believe the local cancer environment might be key to unlocking new desperately needed cures.
Brain cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death in children, with current treatments offering little more than palliative care. Your support transforms grief and helplessness into action and possibility.
What is the science behind this project?
Your brain is a fascinating organ, containing around 1000 unique types of cell that each carry out different essential jobs. Most of these different types of cell originate from a single precursor, known as a neural stem cell. Dr Ip and his team are investigating whether neural stem cells could be the origin of some of the most aggressive forms of paediatric high-grade gliomas.
The researchers have already found that neural stem cells influence the cells around them in two different ways. Firstly, they give off signals that can cause the rapid growth of cancerous cells. Secondly, on contact with tumour cells they can transform into specialised cells that “help” the tumour grow. How exactly this happens is still not well understood.
With Curestarter support, Dr Ip and his team can now study these processes to learn the best way of defeating them. Specifically, the team aims to identify the key signals from neural stem cells that drive tumour development.
This unique project is a collaboration between clinicians and scientists, speeding up the process of taking a discovery from the laboratory to patient treatments.
The researchers will use 3D organoids incorporating tumour cells donated by patients who have generously contributed to the development of new therapies. These 3D organoids are almost like having 'mini-patients' in the laboratory, making research more realistic to what actually happens in a human brain.
What difference could this project make to patients in the future?
Ultimately, this project seeks to identify key targets for new therapies for this aggressive brain cancer – offering children a chance at a longer life with a disease that currently has no cure.
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