Research Stories – Brain tumour funding – Portsmouth Research Centre

£196k for treatment of childhood medulloblastoma

In 2013, Children with Cancer UK awarded a three year grant to Professor Geoff Pilkington to support the development of a new approach to the treatment of childhood medulloblastoma. The grant of £196k represents a substantial investment into treatment against the most common form of malignant childhood brain tumour and couldn’t be more relevant this March in Brain Tumour Awareness Month. Denis was greeted by Professor of Neuro-Oncology, Geoff Pilkington, Chief Executive of Brain Tumour Research, Sue Farrington Smith and Wendy Fulcher, Chairman of Brain Tumour Research.

Developing a new gene therapy approach

Denis viewed how – with funding from Children with Cancer UK – Professor Pilkington’s team is using cutting edge molecular genetic techniques to unravel the biology of medulloblastoma. They are aiming to reverse an important genetic modification in medulloblastoma to develop a new gene therapy approach that can go forward into clinical trial. Denis said “Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumour of childhood. The powerful protection that the blood-brain barrier provides means that many generic treatments used to fight cancers elsewhere in the body cannot be applied to children with brain tumours. This is one of the reasons why dedicated research is so important and why we are delighted to be funding the important work being undertaken by Professor Pilkington.” We have seen how medulloblastoma can effect children and young people. One of our patient representatives, Charlie, was diagnosed with this type of brain tumour aged just four years old. Thankfully Charlie is now 14 and doing well, however not all children diagnosed with brain tumours come through treatment successfully. Read more: Charlie’s story

Text ‘SAVE’ to 70025 to donate just £2 to our Brain Tumour Initiative

This is why we are asking for people to text ‘SAVE’ to 70025 to donate just £2 to our Brain Tumour Initiative to help fund vital research into childhood brain tumours to help children and young people like Charlie. You can also donate online: Donate Read more: Brain Tumour Initiative