New research into paediatric brain cancer

OU researchers have been awarded £19,500 to develop research into paediatric brain cancer.

The grant was awarded by the charity Abbie’s Army, which supports the fight for a cure and provides hope for children who develop Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), an aggressive paediatric brain cancer.

The research is being carried out by the Open University’s School of Life, Health & Chemical Sciences, led by Dr Francesco Crea and his team in collaboration with Dr Jon Golding, OU Senior Lecturer in Health Sciences, Portsmouth University and the Institute of Cancer Research.

The project aims at the identification and characterization of lncRNAs (RNA molecules highly important in the progression and prognosis of cancer) in DIPG.

Dr Francesco said: “This award is an important contribution to support our ongoing research. With these funds, we aim to generate enough preliminary data to apply for ambitious grants schemes, which would enable us to test our experimental therapies in preclinical and clinical settings. We hope that our research will eventually improve the lives of DIPG patients.”

The project will run from January to October 2020.

Find out more about research in the OU’s School of Life, Health and Chemical Sciences