Funded Grants

Molecular origins of childhood brain cancer

Project Overview

Pediatric high-grade gliomas are incurable brain cancers. Sequencing the tumor specimens has shown that most cases do not have obvious mutations that are known to cause cancer. It is therefore not known what causes, or “drives,” these cancers. Identifying cancer drivers is a fundamental step in designing new treatments. We have generated data showing that some mutations in pediatric high-grade gliomas occur not in genes, but in the “switches” for genes. These switches have key roles in making sure that a gene is switched on at the right level (not too little, not too much). We propose that some of the mutations found in switches cause some genes to be turned on too much, or to be turned off even if they are needed for normal cell function. Our work is aimed at uncovering which mutations in switches have important roles for the initiation and progression of these pediatric brain cancers, as a first step toward the design of effective treatments

Principal Investigator

Marco Gallo , University of Calgary

Partners and Donors

The Azrieli Foundation

Project Ongoing

Molecular origins of childhood brain cancer

Program Type

Capacity building grants
Area of research

Cancer
Disease Area

Brain Cancer
Competition

Future Leaders in Canadian Brain Research
Province

Alberta
Start Date

2020
Total Grant Amount

$100,000
Health Canada Contribution

$50,000