Brain Cancer Research

Despite its costly human toll, brain cancer is a relatively under-funded area of cancer biology research. Progress against this disease has been stymied by the limited data available both on human brain development and on the molecular and genetic characterizations of brain tumors. Experimentally promising bio-molecular therapies often fail to achieve clinic efficacy because of the disconnection between preclinical experimental models and the real-world clinical needs of patients. Brain cancer survival statistics for the deadliest of tumors such as gliomas have not improved significantly over the past two decades and the clinical armamentarium is, to a large extent, still dependent on surgery and radiation therapy – treatments known to leave survivors with devastating cognitive deficits.

All proposals submitted to the foundation must clearly link the experimental models and questions to the realities of human disease. Proposals primarily intending to characterize basic mechanisms of growth and development that may plausibly but are not yet known to be contributory to human brain cancer are not encouraged. Proposals testing molecules as possible treatment interventions should consider including tests designed to uncover unintended biological effects of such molecules that would disqualify future clinical usefulness.

The Foundation is particularly interested in supporting novel research that will generate new knowledge leading to increased rates of survival and improve functional recovery for individuals with brain cancer. In prior years, the foundation has funded about 6 or fewer research applications. Keeping true to the Foundation’s mission, we ask that you refrain from submitting proposals better suited to programs at NINDS or NCI.

Support awarded through the 21st Century Science Initiative is intended to encourage new ideas and approaches, early in their development, that are unlikely to be funded from traditional sources. Proposals from junior faculty and from individuals with strong neuroscience, genetics, molecular pathology, and tumor immunology backgrounds, interested in pursuing novel research on brain cancer, are encouraged.