New strategy to combat paediatric brain tumours

Marta Alonso

  • PROJECT LEADER

    Marta Alonso

  • APPLICANT INSTITUTION
    AND COUNTRY

    Fundación para la Investigación Médica Aplicada (FIMA/CIMA), Spain

  • DESCRIPTION

    Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs) are brain tumours that lead the ranking of paediatric cancer-related deaths. All therapeutic attempts developed so far to combat them have failed, so finding curative options for this tumour, which usually appears between the ages of 5 and 10, is a critical need for paediatric oncology.

    This project aims to test the efficacy of Delta-24-ACTFOX, an oncolytic adenovirus (a genetically modified viral particle designed to destroy cancer cells) specifically targeted against DIPGs. This is a new strategy that combines the strengths of various previous approaches that have shown promising but incomplete results against these tumours.

    The project brings together two complementary and potentially synergistic immunotherapy approaches: on one hand, oncolytic adenoviruses that are capable of triggering a potent but non-specific immune response, and on the other hand, the modifications that will be inserted into the genome of these adenoviruses so that they specifically target DIPG.

  • ORIGINAL
    TITLE

    Overcoming resistance to virotherapy for pediatric brain tumors

  • PROJECT
    STAGE

    Stage 1