Potential first ever targeted therapy designed for ‘untreatable’ childhood brain cancer

Scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research, London have discovered a new type of drug that targets a genetic weakness in ‘diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma’ (DIPG), an untreatable childhood brain cancer, which could become the first ever treatment designed to target the disease. The international team of researchers have found that the new drug class can kill brain cancer cells with mutations in the ACVR1 gene and shrink tumours in mice. The new type of drug targets the protein molecule produced by mutated versions of the ACVR1 gene found in the deadly cancer, which is brilliant news for patients as there are currently no life-extending treatments other than radiotherapy for DIPG tumours and this is never curative, with children expecting to live only nine to 12 months after diagnosis.