About the disease
Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma is one of the most aggressive and deadliest forms of childhood cancer.
It is a rare disease with an annual incidence of 1-2 new cases / 100,000 population. The median survival of children with this disease is less than 1 year after diagnosis and there has been no improvement in prognosis for more than 30 years now.
Surgical treatment is generally not recommended due to the diffuse presence of the tumor within the delicate structure of the brainstem, which houses almost all vital function centers and pathways.
Despite extensive research efforts, currently available chemotherapeutics have not brought significant improvement in terms of survival. At the moment the most common treatment is radiation, which offers only temporary relief.
Prospects for improvement
The results of recent research have contributed to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of this devastating form of cancer, bringing new hope for future success in identifying effective treatments.
Promising preclinical studies investigating epigenetic modifiers and other forms of molecularly targeted therapy hold significant potential to advance treatment and have progressed to subsequent phases of clinical research.
In addition, immunotherapy, specifically CAR T-cell therapy, oncolytic viruses, and vaccine therapy are other promising approaches for the effective treatment of this disease.
Our goal is to promote new options for glioma treatment and patient care in Czech Republic and to improve the situation of pediatric patients whose only current option is treatment abroad.
