Exploring copper chelation as a novel epigenetic therapeutic strategy for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma
Background
Brain cancers are one of the most common causes of death in Australians aged 25 and under. A highly aggressive type of brain cancer is Diffuse-Intrinsic-Pontine-Glioma (DIPG), which typically affects children between five and seven years old. Unfortunately, there are no effective treatments for DIPG.
Copper is found in the blood and is important for the brain to work normally, however, too much copper in the blood has been linked to cancer and disorders affecting the nervous system.
About the project
Associate Professor Vittorio and his team discovered that brain cancers, such as DIPG, are addicted to copper and that using non-toxic drugs to reduce the levels of copper can kill the cancer cells. This project aims to investigate why these tumours are dependent on copper and further develop this copper-reducing therapy as a new treatment for children with DIPG.
Impact
This research should help us to better understand the biology of these aggressive brain tumours and enable the development of novel drugs that could be used to treat DIPG. If successful, this research could lead to the development of the first effective treatment for children with DIPG which would significantly improve their survival rates.