$150K to Dr Angela Liou at Sanford Burnham for Pediatric Diffuse Midline Glioma research

A Mutation-Informed Viral Mimicry Strategy for Pediatric Diffuse Midline Glioma (Liou, Angela)

Angela Liou M.D. 

Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute

$150,000

Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is one of the most devastating childhood cancers, and despite decades of research, effective treatments remain elusive. Many promising immunotherapies have failed because DMG tumors are considered "immune cold," meaning they do not trigger a strong immune response. Dr. Liou is investigating a novel strategy to make these tumors visible to the immune system by exploiting a unique weakness caused by the genetic mutation found in most DMG tumors.

The research focuses on a process known as "viral mimicry." By disrupting the mechanisms that DMG cells use to keep portions of their DNA silenced, researchers can cause tumor cells to behave as though they are infected by a virus. This activates powerful antiviral and immune responses that may trigger cancer cell death while also attracting immune cells into the tumor. Early results have already shown reduced tumor growth and prolonged survival in laboratory models. If successful, this approach could transform an immunologically silent tumor into one that responds to immunotherapy, opening the door to entirely new treatment strategies for children with this currently incurable disease.

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