CureSearch: A global partnership to combat childhood brain cancer
We have partnered with the MD Anderson Cancer Center and the medical research charity, CureSearch for Children’s Cancer Cure, to explore a novel treatment for brain cancer in children.
Overview
Researchers in the USA and UK are investigating whether a new treatment that combines a genetically modified cold sore virus with a cancer vaccine can effectively kill brain cancer cells in children. This £1.1 million ($1.5 million) project is led by the MD Anderson Cancer Center and funded by CureSearch for Children’s Cancer and LifeArc. If successful, clinical trials could begin within 2 years, potentially guiding the development of other paediatric cancer treatments.
About the research
This project focuses on a groundbreaking new approach to treat high-grade gliomas in children, an aggressive type of brain tumour. The research is led by Dr Gregory Friedman, Professor of Paediatrics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. His team involves experts from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Harvard University, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Mount Sanai, and the University of Cambridge here in the UK.
The research team are utilising a genetically engineered herpes simplex virus type 1, which naturally targets nerve cells, making it ideal for brain tumour treatment. This modified virus enters and replicates within cancer cells, causing them to burst and become exposed to the immune system.
The virus has already shown promising results in a small phase 1 trial, with positive responses in 11 out of 12 children and an increase in immunity-boosting white blood cells within the tumours.
The next step is to combine this virus with a cancer vaccine called SNAPvax. This combination aims to prime the immune system to attack cancer cells and sustain the virus’s effects, potentially leading to a more effective treatment.
The importance of this research
Brain cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in children under 14 years of age, and despite advances in other areas of medicine, treatments for childhood brain tumours have not significantly progressed in decades.
High-grade gliomas in children are devastating and poorly understood, with a dismal 3-year survival rate of only 11 to 22%. Current therapies, such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, often result in significant long-term side effects and are primarily developed for adults, posing additional risks to children’s developing brains.
This research aims to develop a targeted, less toxic treatment to improve survival rates and quality of life for affected children. Through this partnership, we hope to help address a critical health challenge with a pressing need for safer and more effective treatments.
