» PLGA-Sponsored Research Projects

Medical Research

PLGA-Sponsored Research Projects

Medical Research

Over the course of the past 3 years, families associated with the Pediatric Low Grade Astrocytoma (PLGA) Foundation have raised over $6.5 million and funded 5 international researcher/clinician conferences and over a dozen new targeted PLGA research projects. Milestone funded to date include:

Conferences and Symposiums

Date	Conference Name	Location
February 2009	Low Grade Glioma - Meta Analysis Symposium	Alexandria, VA
June 2009	Advancing basic and translational research in Low Grade Astrocytoma - A Trials Consensus and Research Planning Meeting	Nottingham, England
June 2008	Low Grade Glioma Symposium at the International Society of Pediatric Neuro-Oncologists.	Chicago, IL
May 2008	Dana Farber, PLGA Research Program Update	Boston, MA
May 2006	First JPA Researcher Symposium	Bethesda, MD

PLGA Foundation Grant Funding has also been provided to the following cutting edge projects:

Institution	Study Name	Principle Investigator	Date of Grant
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital	Molecular Pathology and Genetics of Low Grade Glioma, Focus on Diffuse Astrocytoma (WHO Grade II)	Dr. David Ellison	January 2010
Dana Farber Cancer Institute	Clinical Research Associate Position	Dr. Mark Kieran	December 2009
University of London	Molecular Pathology and Genetics of Low Grade Glioma, Focus on Diffuse Astrocytoma (WHO Grade II)	Dr. Denise Sheer	December 2009
Dana Farber Cancer Institute	New Pathology Research Scientist Position	Dr. Mark Kieran	November 2009
Johns Hopkins University	PLGA: Dedicated Tumor Banking and Establishment of Cell Lines and Xenografts	Dr. Eberhart, Dr. Kenneth Cohen, Dr. Eli Bar and Dr. Peter Burger	May 2009
Johns Hopkins University	Analysis of BRAF in WHO Grade II Fibrillary Pediatric Astrocytomas [PDF 700KB]	Dr. Charles Eberhart Dr. Peter Burger Dr. Eli Bar	January 2009
Washington University Children's National Medical Center	Identification of Key Genetic and Growth Control Pathway Changes in JPA that Represent Potential Molecular Targets for Therapuetic Intervention	Dr. David Gutmann Dr. Tobey MacDonald	March 2006
Dana Farber Cancer Institute	Establishment of PLGA Research Program	Dr. Mark Kieran and Dr. Chuck Stiles	May 2007
University of California, San Francisco	Targeting Cancer Stem Cells in Pediatric Fibrillary Astroctyoma	Dr. David H. Rowitch Dr. C. David James Dr. Graeme Hodgson	May 2007
MD Anderson Cancer Center	Molecular JPA Study	Dr. KK Wong	May 2006

Grant Distributions in Partnership with The Brain Tumor Society (Boston)

While the funds for the following projects were raised by PLGA Families (through the Brain Tumor Society's Ride for Research), these projects were solicited wholly through The Brain Tumor Society's request for proposal and peer review processes. The Brain Tumor Society's continued commitment to supporting pediatric low grade astrocytoma (PLGA) specific research projects, with funds raised by PLGA Foundation families, will result in the identification of additional critical PLGA projects within the next 3 months.

Institution	Study Name	Principle Investigator	Date of Grant
Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee	Targeting the Hedgehog Pathway in Pediatric Low-Grade Glioma	Michael K. Cooper, MD	October 2008
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts	A Phase II Study of RAD001 (everolimus) for Children with Chemotherapy Hemotherapy-Refractory Progressive Symptomatic Low-Grade Gliomas.	Mark Kieran, MD, PhD	October 2008
Texas Children’s Hospital-Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas	Development of Clinically Relevant Orthotopic Xenograft Mouse Models of Childhood Low-Grade Glioma from Primary Tumor Tissues.	Xiao-Nan Li, MD, PhD	October 2008
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas	Identification of the Molecular Signature of Progressive JPA	Elizabeth Maher, MD, PhD	October 2008
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Peptide Vaccine Based Immunotherapy for Pediatric Low-Grade Glioma	Ian Pollack, MD	October 2008
Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto	The Biologic and Prognostic Role of Replicative and Oncogene Induced Senescence in Pediatric Low Grade Gliomas	Dr. Uri Tabori	May 2007
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh	Molecular Prognostic Markers for Low-Grade Gliomas	Dr. Ian F. Pollack	May 2007
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center	Development of Permanent Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma Cell Lines for Preclinical Trails	Dr. KK Wong	May 2007
Washington University	Controlling Pilocytic Astrocytoma Growth: Effects of location, age and Telomerase	Dr. Jeffrey Leonard	May 2007
Washington University Children's National Medical Center	Identification of Key Genetic and Growth Control Pathway Changes in Fibrillary Astrocytoma that Represent Potential Molocular Targets for Theraputic Intervention	Dr. David Gutmann Dr. Tobey MacDonald	May 2007
Washington University Children's National Medical Center	Identification of Key Genetic and Growth Control Pathway Changes in JPA that Represent Potential Molecular Targets for Therapuetic Intervention	Dr. David Gutmann Dr. Tobey MacDonald	March 2006

We hope you will return to this section frequently to explore the new studies that are being funded by PLGA Foundation. Grant applications are accepted and grants are approved all year long.

With continued education and research funds, we can begin to imagine targeted therapies that arrest the development and potentially cure patients suffering with PLGA.

Unite to fight PLGA! Donate to the PLGA Foundation today. Your generosity can bring us one giant step closer to a 100% cure!