The Brain Tumour Charity is proud to announce the latest recipients of our Quest for Cures Grant. These researchers have been awarded for their innovative projects and collaborative approaches to research into brain tumours.
The researchers will each receive funding of up to £1.5 million, over a duration of five years. Their projects involve collaborating with researchers from different institutions and fields of expertise to create multidisciplinary teams, aiming to utilise technological advances, share knowledge and strengthen the ties between basic and clinical research – to ultimately bring us closer to finding a cure for brain tumours as soon as possible.
Targeting protein kinases to develop effective drugs for glioblastoma
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common high grade primary brain tumour in adults. However, there is currently no cure, and the standard of care hasn’t changed in more than 20 years, meaning that more effective tailored treatments are desperately needed.
The development of drugs that can reach the brain and be used to treat brain tumours is limited because of the blood-brain barrier; however, recent progress from this research team has made this possible now. They have combined elements from three different drugs, resulting in a new drug that is able to slow cell growth by inhibiting protein kinases. Protein kinases play a role in cell growth and multiplication, and by blocking their activity the rapid, uncontrolled growth of cancer cells may also be stopped.
In this project, helped by our Quest for Cures grant, Dr Creixell’s research team will be using new technology to identify ways that this potential new drug can act against GBM cells in the brain, by targeting protein kinases. By screening and developing new drugs and combining them with existing drugs that can cross the blood-brain barrier and target protein kinases in the brain, the team believe that they will find new ways of treating GBM.
Dr. Pau Creixell
Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute
Dr Pau Creixell is the leader of the Creixell Group under the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute. His research team is centred on studying the inhibition of tumour growth by preventing the activation of key protein kinases. Other studies of importance include cellular signalling specificity, molecular recognition and novel targeted therapies.
Improving treatment options for children diagnosed with rare tumours of the central nervous system
Embryonal and sarcomatous tumours of the central nervous system are extremely rare, which makes diagnosing and treating them difficult. This unique group of brain tumours need different treatment compared to other brain tumours to ensure the best patient care.
Dr Katja von Hoff, from Denmark and Professor Barry Pizer, UK, are teaming up to improve treatments for young people diagnosed with this very rare group of brain tumours. This collaborative project seeks to build an international European network of researchers and healthcare professionals, aiming to work together to shape new clinical trials, and define best practice for the treatment of these tumours.
The team will look at the biology of these tumours, how they behave and how they are currently treated. They will also create new tumour models to test different drugs in the lab. Using all this information, they aim to be able to recommend the best treatments for each child diagnosed with one of these tumours.
Dr. Katja von Hoff
Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
Dr Katja von Hoff is a researcher in Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark. She specialises in brain tumours such as medulloblastoma, ependymoma and paediatric tumours.
Prof. Barry Pizer
Alder Hey Hospital, Liverpool, UK
Professor Barry Pizer is a researcher at Alder Hey, Liverpool who focuses on paediatrics and paediatric oncology. He also has history as a Consultant Paediatric Oncologist.
By bringing together leading international research teams to work collaboratively, our Quest For Cures grants accelerate our understanding of brain tumours. These prestigious awards have the potential to shape our understanding of brain tumours and identify innovative ways to develop new treatments. We will work closely with these teams to drive the translation of these new discoveries into patient benefit, helping patients live longer and better lives.
Dr Simon Newman, Chief Scientific Officer at The Brain Tumour Charity