Deciphering the genetic changes that lead to diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) formation

The Hawkins Lab aims to discover which genetic changes drive the onset of one of the most devastating childhood brain tumours, Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). Studies on DIPG tumours have shown that many of them contain a variety of gene deletions and it can be difficult to determine which ones are the most important for DIPG formation. Dr. Hawkins’s team has generated mice that carry the most common DIPG-associated mutation. In these mice they will systematically test gene deletions known to occur in human cases of DIPG to see which ones cause the mice to develop DIPG-like tumours. They aim to understand more about which genetic changes DIPG needs to grow and therefore might be effective targets for therapies.