TORONTO, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brain Cancer Canada is pleased to award a $100,000 pediatric research grant to Dr. Carl Ernst, professor and scientist at McGill University, and his team. The work explores a gene therapy treatment for pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGG). PHGG are an aggressive and often fatal group of brain cancers with a median survival time of less than 18 months after diagnosis. With few treatment options available, this research is one of many important steps toward advancing new and potentially life-saving therapies.
Given the aggressive nature of this type of cancer, the project “Advancing a Gene Therapy Treatment for MYCN-Amplified Pediatric High-Grade Glioma” aims to address tumours that are currently considered untreatable. These tumours are characterized by inactivating mutations in critical genes, known as tumour suppressors, which play a key role in regulating cell growth. The research team is evaluating an innovative multigene therapy approach designed to target several major cancer pathways simultaneously, with the goal of efficiently eliminating cancer cells by reactivating anti-tumour mechanisms.
Dr. Ernst shared, “This work simply cannot proceed without philanthropic support. While governments are well-intentioned and provide important research support in Canada, granting agencies do not fund research that is high risk, high reward and so will not invest in new technologies that could be hugely beneficial for brain cancer patients. My group has the tools, the team, and the critical infrastructure in place to deliver a new therapeutic for people with glioblastoma. I am extremely grateful to the TI Group & Segal GCSE LLP corporate sponsors, and the Tomasz Kutasienski Memorial Pack Walk and the Andrea Villamere Memorial community fundraisers. Tomasz and Andrea are inspirations to us as we work diligently on this project to develop a novel therapy to treat deadly brain cancers.”
To support this objective, the team has developed a series of gene therapy vectors (specialized vehicles that deliver therapeutic genes) incorporating tumour suppressors frequently lost in a subgroup of pHGGs. Acknowledging that cancer cells can often bypass the loss of a single tumour suppressor, the researchers are pursuing a multigene strategy that delivers several tumour suppressors concurrently, aiming to maximize the inhibition of cancer cell growth.
To ensure specificity, the therapeutic genes have been linked to a promoter activated by a gene highly expressed in brain tumours but inactive in healthy brain tissue. This targeted approach is designed to confine the therapy’s effects to cancer cells while preserving healthy brain cells.
TI Group President, Renée Walsh states, “TI Group is proud to support Brain Cancer Canada’s ambitious goal of creating a world without brain cancer. Many of us have been personally touched by loved ones affected by this disease, and we deeply understand the urgent need for better treatments. As we observe Brain Cancer Awareness Month, we have a powerful opportunity to elevate the cause and make a meaningful impact. We are sincerely grateful to Dr. Ernst and his team, as well as Angela and hers, for their unwavering dedication to raising awareness and advocating for increased research and improved treatment options.”
This announcement is part of a series of six grants announced during Brain Cancer Awareness Month. Brain Cancer Canada remains committed to driving forward innovative solutions and pursuing hope for those affected by brain cancer by investing in critically needed research.
About Brain Cancer Canada:
Brain Cancer Canada is a national charity dedicated to improving the lives of those affected by primary malignant brain tumours by funding research, advocating for effective treatment options, and investing in neurosurgical technologies. Since 2015, Brain Cancer Canada has directed more than 2.4 million dollars to brain cancer research, to 25 projects at nine institutions, research centres, and hospitals across Canada.
More Information:
For more detail about this and other research initiatives supported by Brain Cancer Canada, please visit www.braincancercanada.ca
Media Contact:
Angela Scalisi, Chair
angela@braincancercanada.ca
1-855-375-1381
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