Medical Breakthroughs
December 12, 2011
Two exciting developments provide new insight into DIPG.
Last year, we reported that Dana-Farber's Dr. Mark Kieran and his colleagues had started working with a team in Paris to analyze a large number of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) samples obtained at the time of initial diagnosis, the first such analysis in the world. The results have recently been reported and identified a new mutation not previously known to be associated with these tumors. This is of particular significance because this mutation, which had been identified previously in certain adult tumors, is already being targeted in clinic trials and offers the possibility of rapid translation to children with DIPG.
Even more exciting is the news that Dr. Kieran and his team started their groundbreaking research today into the biopsy and treatment of children with DIPG. Ten years in development and three years of regulatory hurdles have finally been resolved, allowing the first of 100 children in the United States to undergo a biopsy at diagnosis. The treatment of these children will depend on the results of their biopsy, meaning that the treatments can be individualized to the particular characteristics of each child’s tumor. Approximately 23 medical centers will participate in this groundbreaking study (see the list of participating centers below). The initial funding provided by Zach's Fund has allowed Dr. Kieran to receive additional grant money of $700,000, for a total of $1.6 million secured to date. We are on our way to the $2 million needed for this study to be fully funded.
In addition to the novel treatment provided by this protocol, this study provides fresh tissue samples required for genome analyses, with a goal of unlocking the mysteries of diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas. This world renowned medical team believes this study represents the greatest hope of understanding these tumors, a necessary first step in finding a cure for DIPG, the deadliest of all pediatric cancers.
Zach’s Fund is the major funding source in the US dedicated to this groundbreaking research and treatment protocol.
Zach’s Fund has gotten DIPG research moving again. Please make a contribution to keep this leading-edge research advancing to a cure. This is your chance to have a significant impact on the lives of children diagnosed with this deadly cancer. We are moving towards our goal to find a cure … please come with us and donate now.
The participating sites:
- Children's Hospital Boston, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
- University of California San Francisco, CA
- Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL
- Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- Children's Hospital at University of Utah, Salt Lake, UT
- Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center, Seattle, WA
- The Children's Hospital, Denver, CO
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Johns Hopkins Medical Center, Baltimore, MD
- Doernbecher Children's Hospital, Portland, OR
- Washington University Children's Hospital, St. Louis, MO
- University Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX
- Miami Children's Hospital, Miami, FL
- Children's Health Care of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
- University of Mississippi, Jackson, MS
- Louisville Children's Hospital, Louisville, KY
- New York University, New York, NY
- Childrens Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
- University of Rochester Children's Hospital, Rochester, NY
- Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA
- Cook Children's Health Care System, Fort Worth, TX
- Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
- Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI
The
Zachary
Carson
Brain Tumor
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Zach gets radiation
Dr. Mark Kieran, Steve Carell and Zach
