Pediatric Low Grade Astrocytoma Foundation Award

Project Title

Targeting Cancer Stem Cells in Pediatric Fibrillary Astroctyoma
Principal Investigators: David Rowitch MD, PhD; C. David James PhD; Graeme Hodgson PhD

Program Summary

This research project is made possible by an award granted by the Pediatric Low Grade Astrocytoma Foundation in honor of Jake Gainey (http://www.teamjake.org/). The mission of the PLGA Foundation is to "act as a central resource and a portal for information for parents, patients, families, clinicians, researchers, specialists, and other non profit institutions seeking information about Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma (JPA), Pediatric Fibrillary Astrocytoma (PFA) and other forms of Pediatric Low Grade Astrocytomas (PLGA).

The ultimate goal of this proposal is to change the landscape of pediatric grade II glioma (fibrillary astrocytoma) research by investigating the biological regulation of cancer stem cells. The three specific aims of this program are as follows:

• Investigate the function of OLIG2-positive stem cells in pediatric low-grade glioma

• Develop novel mouse orthotopic models of low-grade glioma

• Identity genes that cause diffuse low-grade astrocytomas (DLGAs), and to test the efficacy of small inhibitory nucleic acids (siNA) that target these genes in preclinical models of DLGAs

For more information on the Pediatric Low Grade Astrocytoma Foundation, visit their Web site: http://www.fightplga.org.