$150K to Bryan Li at The Regents of the University of California, San Diego for pediatric brain cancer research

Nanotherapeutic combination targeting of MEK and PI3K in DMG/DIPG

Bryan K. Li, M.D., Ph.D. 

The Regents of the University of California, San Diego

$150,000

The Sam Day Foundation funded groundbreaking research aimed at overcoming one of the greatest barriers in pediatric brain cancer treatment: the blood-brain barrier. Dr. Bryan Li is developing a novel nanoparticle delivery system that can transport targeted cancer therapies directly into diffuse midline glioma (DMG), one of the deadliest childhood cancers. By delivering multiple drugs precisely to the tumor while reducing exposure to healthy tissues, this approach has the potential to improve treatment effectiveness, reduce side effects, and open the door to entirely new therapeutic strategies for children with brain tumors. The technology's strong potential for clinical translation offers new hope for families facing diseases that currently have few effective treatment options.

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