About the Pediatric Research Initiative

 
National Brain Tumor Society sees a critical need to advance the field of pediatric brain tumor research. NBTS believes that it is essential to fill the gap in the foundational knowledge of the pediatric brain tumor field, so that future investigations into specific pediatric tumor types are more systematic, more efficient, and yield viable treatments most effectively. 

Our Pediatric Research is intentionally structured as an initiative to take advantage of our two funding models. The first model, the Standard and Advanced Grants program, enables NBTS to respond to any promising researcher-proposed projects that align with our approach. The second, the Innovation Grants Program, supports highly innovative projects and allows NBTS to proactively solicit potentially transformative research.

Our Approach

 
NBTS believes that the most effective route to greater understanding of pediatric brain tumors is to force a convergence of two key research areas: comprehensive molecular profiling and developmental neurobiology.

• Comprehensive molecular profiling of specific tumors identifies biological targets (e.g., gene, gene product, and gene expression alterations) that allow for interventions, such as drug therapies, that will be effective for those specific tumor types.
   
• Developmental neurobiology is essential to understanding normal brain developmental processes and how these relate to tumor formation and growth.

Understanding the genetic, molecular, and cellular mechanisms of normal brain development is central to understanding brain tumor development. Together, studies in comprehensive molecular profiling and developmental neurobiology will result in a much more complete picture of the biological targets on which to focus in drug discovery, development, and clinical trials. This essential groundwork will enable future research into specific pediatric brain tumors to be much more focused and efficient. It will also speed the development of treatments to effectively fight tumors with minimal adverse affects to continuing normal brain development so critical for pediatric patients

Within the pediatric research field this is a paradigm shift. NBTS is committed to leadership in this shift, both through our own funding initiative, and through our peer-to-peer advocacy within the scientific community and among other brain tumor research funders.