Recipient: Associate Professor David Ziegler
Institute: Children’s Cancer Institute
Funding: $200,000 July 2016 to December 2020
This project focusses on improving treatment and survival for children with the most devastating and aggressive of all childhood cancers.
Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a malignant brain tumour occurring almost exclusively during childhood. It peaks in incidence in those aged 5-7 years. There are currently no effective treatment options.
Through vigorous testing, Associate Professor Ziegler and his team discovered fenretinide, a synthetic drug related to vitamin A, could be effective in treating DIPG.
As fenretinide is clinically available, with a well-established safety profile, this project offers a unique opportunity to improve the outcomes for children with this incurable cancer.
The overarching aim of this project is to change the way clinicians manage DIPG. At its completion, this project aims to produce the data required for a clinical trial of fenretinide combination therapy in DIPG.
This project recieved further support through Cancer Australia's Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme.