Funded Projects
MBF has raised over $6.5 million in support of research since 2001.
The money we have raised for research demonstrates the value of collaboration. The projects that MBF has funded over the years bring together experts from diverse disciplines and regions, expanding our knowledge of specific tumours and treatments. While each project typically focuses on one type of brain tumour, every project contributes to our knowledge of brain tumours, bringing us closer to our vision of understanding the more than 120 different types of brain tumours. Collaboration remains a principal goal of our funding objectives, fostering a dedicated community committed to making a global impact on all children and families affected by paediatric brain tumours.
MBF Funded Projects
Research funded by Meagan Bebenek Foundation has identified:
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Genetic differences in tumours among patients, explaining varied treatment responses
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Potential therapy using mutation-carrying cells found in DIPG patients
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Metabolic targets that could be treated and modified
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Metabolic biomarkers that could predict treatment failure and response in patients
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Safe measures to temporarily open the blood-brain barrier, permitting a window of opportunity to administer cancer treatment
After identifying successful treatments, our researchers have refined the list of effective treatments through testing on normal cells to ensure minimal toxicity to the cells surrounding the tumour. These treatments include known chemotherapies and novel therapies such as heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibitors in the case of DIPG.
Seed Grants
Everything starts from an idea! Seed grants support projects at the idea stage and provide critical funding for researchers to gather preliminary supporting data often providing the evidence required to secure large multi-year grant opportunities. Over the years MBF has allocated much needed funding to numerous seed grants - projects that allow researchers to explore new ideas, build evidence that these will work, and help develop new approaches.
One such example is the seed grant funded by MBF that allowed pre-clinical research using guided ultrasound to target Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas (DIPG), aggressive tumours that are notoriously difficult to treat. With the support of our community, this work quickly led to the development of clinical trials that hold great promise.