DIPG Collaborative

The DIPG Collaborative "is an association of foundations unified with the mission of efficiently funding and inspiring DIPG research in hopes of finding a wider cure for cancer".   From The Cure Starts now website it says that the Collaborative Council is to:
1) provide the tools and information to families whose children face the difficult diagnosis of pediatric brain cancer.
2) provide a warm and caring envirnoment to share information, discuss options and support one another.
3) make available accurate and easy to understand information for families that are newly diagnosed.  

A major kick off of the DIPG Collaborative was the 2011symposium that brought 13 foundations together with researcher to find substantive ways to research DIPG jointly together.    From that meeting several research infrastructure developments occurred which now really allows us to start to unravel DIPG.   These included the DIPG Preclinical Consortium, the DIPG Resgistry and the DIPG Genomics Repository.

If one hasn't looked at the Preclinical Consortium,  I think it is worth the time as it is impressive.  It is less than 4 years from when the first cell line was promulgated in Michelle Monje's lab (from tissue donated by Dylan Jewett).  Through the consoritum we now have ten institutions working together on more than 30 cell lines (as well as various animal models) trying to find the best single agents or combinations in those cell lines to be a  basis for rapid translation into clinical trials.   Every week there is an update on the consortiums work including DNA and RNA analysis. This is fully funded byt the Foundational Leadership Partnters of the DIPG Colaborative.

The DIPG Registry is equally impressive.  There is a section for medical professionals including sections on enrollment information and consultations.   There is also a section for parents where one can make contact for second opinions and also search for open clinical trials.  Parents can make contact with the registry to discuss enrollment- even for children who have died.  There already is some specific research in the works.

The DIPG Collaborative Symposium starts today, however, the major work of the DIPG Collaborative for foundations starts tomorrow.   The first session is on objectives for the next two years.   It would be really interesting to see the direction this collaborative is moving.

There are three levels of support:
Foundational Leadership Partners - The Cure Starts Now, The Cure Starts Now Australia, Jeffrey Thomas Hayden Foundation, Hope for Caroline, Soar with Grace, Reflections of Grace Foundation, The Lyla Nsouli Foundation

Foundation Partners- Smiles for Sophie Forever, Benny World,  The Team Julian Foundation

Symposium Sponsors- Max Lacewell Foundation, Love Chloe Foundation, Caroline's Miracle Foundation, Ellie DIPG Research Fund,  American Childhood Cancer Organization,  Pray Hope Believe Foundation, National Brain Tumor Society, Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Cincinnati Children's Hospital

References:
CSN DIPG Collaborative Council
http://www.thecurestartsnow.org/about/foundation/councils/DIPGcollaborative/

DIPG Collaborative

http://dipg.org/

A new Preclinical DIPG Consortium

A new Preclinical DIPG Consortium has been unveiled at-
http://pptiohsu.blogspot.com/2011/12/open-science-forum-dipg-preclinical.html

One of the spectacular things is that this clearly identifies some of the researchers that are truly placing significant emphasis is trying to unravel DIPG.  There are 5 US sites and one each in Canada, France and Amsterdam.  A main requirement to be a site currently seems to have a cell line as well as a funding source.

The DIPG Consortium includes:

• Oregon Health and Science University-  Charles Keller MD, Kellie Nazemi MD, Nate Selden MD, PhD and Dan Guillaume MD, PhD

• Duke University- Oren Becher MD

• Stanford- Michelle Monje, MD, PhD

• Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center- Maryam Fouladi, DM

• Baylor College of Medicine- Xiao Nan Li, MD,PhD

• University of Toronto- Cynthia Hawkins, MD, PhD

• VU Cancer Center of Amsterdam- Dannis G. van Vuuren, ND MSc and Ester Hulleman

• Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif France- Jacques Grill

The current study is called "Rapid Preclinical Development of a Targeted Therapy Combination for DIPG" which has a goal of attempting rapidly to test agents against cell lines and then animal models to hopefully rapidly translate into clinical trials over the next two years.

 It does seem that this trial is a novel approach in that it will treat DIPG specifically and not rely on adult models or cell lines.  This is important in that pediatric DIPG is molecularly distinct from adult gliomas.

Another interesting thing is that the high throughput screening of agents seems like it is to be limited specifically to 60 already available drugs.  This sounds quite reasonable as why test against agents that might not be available for some time. 

 In addition, combinations of agents will also be tested.  This also seems to be significant as many researchers have said that a single agent is unlikely to be effective against DIPG.

 It seems that after the best agents and combinations are found in vitro (against cells alone) that they will be tested in animal models- likely both xenografts and Oren Becher’s  GEMM (genetically engineered mouse model).  

Note- Xenografts are made when human cells lines are injected into animal to create a tumor.  GEMMs make tumors on their own and are not from human cell lines

People can check back to the website at that entry to check the progress of the study (mid page)-

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

Funding for this study has been through parent founded organizations.   The Cure Starts Now provided $100,000 for the North American Institutions.  Also listed were those involved in the DIPG Symposium Collaboration including Reflections of Grace Foundation, The Jeffrey Thomas Hayden Foundation, Cancerfree Kids, Carly’s Crusaders, The Max Lacewell Foundation, Smiles for Sophie Forever Foundation and Benny’s World Foundation for making our project possible.

http://kellerlabblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/thecurestartsnow-funds-dipg.html

Additionally, a $28,000 grant from The Lyla Nsouli Foundation for Children’s Brain Cancer Research in the UK allowed for expansion for  the two participating European collaborators.

http://kellerlabblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/lyla-nsouli-foundation-funds-supplement.html