Brain Tumor Research

Brain tumors are the deadliest form of childhood cancer.  Although survival rates for some pediatric brain tumors have increased over the past few decades, current treatment options including radiation and chemotherapy are often quite toxic, causing children to often suffer from long-term side effects.

Investigators at Nationwide Children’s Hospital are focused on developing treatment strategies for children with brain tumors that not only treat disease, but ensure improved quality of life.

Brain Tumor Research Faculty

Christopher Pierson, MD, PhD

Latest Findings in Brain Tumor Research

Treatment of Medulloblastoma with a Modified Measles Virus

Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of using oncolytic viruses to eradicate brain tumors. The objective of this study was to test the efficacy of measles virus in treating medulloblastoma. These data demonstrate that medulloblastoma is susceptible to measles virus killing and that the virus may have a role in treating this tumor in the clinical setting.

Access an abstract of this study: Treatment of medulloblastoma with a modified measles virus. Neuro Oncol. 2010 Oct;12(10):1034-42.

Current Brain Tumor Research Grants

Measles Virotherapy for Globlastoma Multiforem, National Institutes of Health (Corey Raffel)

Id Proteins in Medulloblastoma, The Matthew Larson Foundation (Christopher Pierson, PhD)