Brain Cancer Canada, the country’s only 100% volunteer-driven charity dedicated exclusively to funding brain cancer research nationwide, is proud to award $75,000 to first-of-its-kind research project led by Dr. Magimairajan Issai Vanan and his team and collaborators at the University of Manitoba.

The project titled “Investigating the role of cytoneme-mediated signaling in therapy response and tumour micro-environment in Diffuse Midline Glioma of the Pons (DMG-P)” will use a step-wise approach to explore the way cells in this devastating pediatric brain cancer ‘talk’ to other cells and to explore new ways of treating this disease with limited current treatment options.

 “This project will be the first systematic interrogation of cytonemes in pediatric brain tumours (DMG-P): to define how actin-based signaling projections coordinate morphogen delivery between tumour cells and brain microvascular endothelial cells and thereby preserve BBB integrity. Our work reframes BBB modulation from “global disruption” to precision interference with tumour–endothelium communication.” says Dr. Vanan.