DIPG Collaborative Symposium Begins in Cincinnati

Tomorrow the 2nd  DIPG Collaborative Symposium  begins in Cincinnati.   This two track program brings together doctors and researchers in one track and foundations and parents in another (with a potential networking dinner Friday evening).   The goal is to be able to "efficiently fund and inspire diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma cancer research in hopes of finding a wider cure for cancer".   This year there is expected to be approximately 140 from 7 countries.  With the diverse agenda with international speakers on the forefront of DIPG research, I suspect it will be an exciting place to be for those interested in pediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma.

The 2011 DIPG Collaborative Symposium brought about some substantive advances in the infrastructure critical for DIPG research including the DIPG Registry,  the DIPG Preclinical Consortium,  and the DIPG Genomics Repository.

This meeting starts Friday morning with a Keynote Lecture from Canadian geneticist and researcher, Nada Jaboda MD PhD.   Although the topic has not been release I am thinking- H3.3,K27M and epigenetics.   To get a taste of the work she has been doing in unravelling pediatric vs adult astrocytomas (including DIPG) there is a NYU Grand Rounds titled "Rewiring the Epigenome in Pediatric and Young High Grade Astrocytomas" presented on December 18, 2012. (click here to watch the video)  This work has the potential to change how we approach and treat DIPGs.

The meeting continues with a update of research funded through the collaborative and the Cure Starts Now:
Preclinica/Traslantional
* Xiao-Nan Li(Baylor)- an oncolytic picorna virus in a DIPG xenograft mouse model.
* Oren Becher (Duke)- systemic and direct delivery of a PDFGR-alpha antibody.
* Suzanne Baker (St Jude)- establishment and characterization of DIPG renewable tissue resources
* Patricia Baxter (Texas)- Novel BMI-1 inhibitors in brainstem xenograft mouse models.
* Michele Monje (Stanford)- combined targeted therapy for cellular subpopulations in DIPG.

Clinical
Mark Souweidane (Cornell)- CED trial update
multiple- DIPG Registry update

This will be followed by various other sessions especially revolving around biopsy, biologic understanding of DIPG and current trends in clinical trials.   One of the most  anticipated things for me is the Xerecept session on Friday afternoon.   It has been years of waiting for this drug to see if it can decease the suffering caused by steroids in so many DIPG children (click here for video).   Hopefully something substantive will come from this session.

The other track- the parents and foundation track- will meet primarily on Saturday to discuss the Collaborative objectives, structure, prior efforts and success.

The event will culminate with a Once in a Lifetime Gala which looks to be spectacular (sold out- 1200 seat).  This year's three ring circus them features the Cincinnati Circus and Nik Walenda.

Reference:
DIPG Collaborative Symposium Meeting Agenda
https://csn.donordrive.com/assets/csn/files/$cms$/100/2097.pdf

DIPG Preclinical Consortium-
http://pptiohsu.blogspot.com/2011/12/open-science-forum-dipg-preclinical.html

DIPG Registry-
http://www.dipgregistry.org/