Diffuse midline gliome

The lecture "Diffuse midline glioma – from bench to clinic" guided listeners on a journey "from the lab to the clinic" – from basic research on molecular biology and genetic mutations leading to the disease, through preclinical models, to current clinical trials and therapeutic strategies. We also focused on the challenges faced in translating findings into clinical practice. Perspectives on personalized treatment for DMG were discussed.

Samuel Abbou, MD, PhD and David Castel, PharmD, PhD, Anne-Florence Blandin, Eng, PhD, leading researchers from the Institute Gustave Roussy (France), together with Mgr. Denisa Olejníková, presented the multidisciplinary efforts to understand and treat this insidious disease.

The lecture, in English with simultaneous translation, was intended for both experts and the general public. The lecture was followed by a discussion and an informal program.

Date: October 17, 2025, 4 PM Venue: National Technical Museum Prague - lecture hall

Samuel Abbou, MD, PhD

Dr. Samuel Abbou is a pediatric neuro-oncologist and physician-researcher at the Gustave Roussy Cancer Center in Paris.

He completed his medical training in Paris and subsequently conducted his doctoral research in Boston at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute / Harvard Medical School.

His clinical practice focuses on the treatment of brain tumors (both at first diagnosis and in cases of relapse), with a special emphasis on therapeutic innovations and modern treatment approaches in neuro-oncology. He leads the day hospital and oversees the precision medicine and pediatric liquid biopsy program.

In research, he works within the Inserm U981 team and focuses on the analysis of circulating tumor DNA and circulating tumor cells in brain tumors and other pediatric malignancies. The goal is to develop new biomarkers and deepen the understanding of pediatric tumor biology.

Dr. Abbou is actively involved in training young researchers and evaluating innovative therapies as a member of the scientific committee of the French Society for Pediatric Oncology and the ITCC (Innovative Therapies for Children with Cancer) committees.

David Castel, PharmD PhD

A researcher and pharmacist working at the prestigious Gustave Roussy Institute in France, a leading European cancer research center. After obtaining doctorates in Pharmacy and Oncology from the University of Paris-Saclay, he fully specialized in the field of pediatric neuro-oncology. His research focuses on the most aggressive brain tumors in children, primarily high-grade gliomas and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), for which he seeks to find and develop new, more effective treatments.

In his work, Dr. Castel deals with the molecular biology of tumors, identifying key genetic mutations, such as ACVR1, which are responsible for the growth of tumor cells. Based on these findings, he leads preclinical studies testing the efficacy of new targeted drugs with the potential to block these mechanisms. He has published his results, which have significantly contributed to the understanding and potential treatment of these devastating diseases, in numerous prestigious scientific journals, including Cancer Cell and Nature Communications, and actively presents them within the international scientific community.

Anne-Florence Blandin, Eng, PhD

Anne-Florence Blandin is a scientist working within the Liquid Biopsy Program at the Gustave Roussy Institute. She has dedicated her career to translational research in pediatric oncology, convinced as a biologist that bridging basic and clinical research is key to improving patient care.

Currently, she focuses on developing new strategies for detecting tumor biomarkers in children with aggressive brain tumors. The goal of her work is to create tools based on liquid biopsy that allow for non-invasive monitoring of tumor development and its response to treatment.

Mgr. Denisa Olejníková

PhD student in Cell Biology and Pathology at the 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University. She currently works at the Laboratory of Molecular Pathology at the Motol University Hospital. During her four years of practice, she has specialized in methods such as nucleic acid isolation, various types of PCR, and Sanger sequencing.

Her main responsibility is preparing libraries for next-generation sequencing (NGS), and she has experience with MiSeq and NextSeq instruments. In her doctoral studies, she focuses on the use of liquid biopsy in tumor diagnostics, specifically on the analysis of free tumor DNA from cerebrospinal fluid in patients with inoperable CNS tumors.

Mgr. Denisa Olejníková is participating in a one-year research stay in France at the Gustave Roussy Institute, supported by the Nina Endowment Fund. The project focuses on using innovative technology for better diagnostics of brain tumors, which are among the most common solid tumors in children and adolescents.