News in 
Brain Tumour Research
2020 Feature Grant Recipients
Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada wishes to thank all researchers who have applied for the 2020 Feature Grant. Congratulations to our five recipients: 
John Trant
Generously Funded by Metalab
University of Windsor

Project Title:
"A universal drug delivery vehicle to transport drugs across the blood-brain barrier to target Glioblastoma"
 
Description of Project:
Glioblastoma (GBM) has a five-year survival under 7%. Surgery and radiation remain the standard of care for patients with these cancers, with chemotherapies playing primarily a supporting role, despite so many drugs showing remarkable benefits in cell models. [...]  
 
 
Phedias Diamandis
Generously Funded By The Dunn Family
University Health Network/Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
 
Project Title:
"Development of deep learning approaches for deciphering and targeting intra-tumoural heterogeneity in Glioblastoma"
 
Description of Project:
Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer with an expected survival of only ~12-15 months from diagnosis despite spirited surgical/medical therapy. This poor outlook has remained fairly unchanged over the past half century despite many breakthroughs in our understanding of glioblastoma biology. [...]
 
 
David Fortin
Generously Funded By The Dunn Family
Université de Sherbrooke
 
Project Title: "Radioisotope Embedded in GlioTrap for Glioblastoma Treatment"
 
Description of Project:
One of the major difficulties in treating Glioblastoma is the impossibility to remove all the tumour cells with surgery. Indeed, some tumour cells break away from the tumour nodule and invade the surrounding brain provoking recurrence. Hence, to eliminate these tumour cells, we have developed a device that can be implanted in the tumour cavity following tumour removal. [...]  

 
 
Amit Singnurkar
Generously Funded By Metalab
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center
 
Project Title:
"Mapping of Essential Amino Acid Metabolism for the Detection of Glioblastoma Multiforme Spread in Post-Surgical Patients"
 
Description of Project:
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary brain malignancy in adults and carries poor prognosis. Despite recent advances in medical imaging and therapy, median survival remains approximately 14 months. A major barrier to the effectiveness of current therapies is the inability to detect the full extent of disease. [...]    
 
 
Sheila Singh
Generously Funded By 'Vikes Kicks Cancer' Event in honour of MacKenzie Rigg
McMaster University
 
Project Title:
"Targeting Glioblastoma Recurrence with anti-ROBO1 Immunotherapy"
 
Description of Project:
Therapy failure and disease recurrence are hallmarks of glioblastoma, the most common andlethal tumor in adults that originates in the brain. Recently, we applied a large-scale functional genetic approach, known as CRISPR screening, to discover key genes that enable the tumor to resist therapy and grow at recurrence. We found that recurrent tumor cells rely heavily on cellular activity initiated by a protein known as Roundabout guidance receptor 1 (ROBO1), such that genetic disruption of this protein's activity or targeting ROBO1 using synthetic antibodies is lethal to tumor cells. [...]  
    
 
 Brain Tumour Research Fellowships: 
Last Chance to Apply!
Brain Tumour Research Fellowships are awarded on a bi-annual basis and offer funds to cover salary and lab expenses for two years. Our Fellowships encourage and enable young clinicians and scientists to enter the field of brain tumour research and will accelerate studies leading to a cure for brain tumours.

Research projects considered for support include Basic, Clinical or Translational Research and all research focuses will be given serious consideration, including pediatric brain tumours.

Closing date for our 2021 Fellowships is February 12, 2021.