CNSD 2.7 Challenges to curing primary brain tumors

What are 3 issues in finding a treatment for brain tumors?

• They lay behind crucial organs or behind the BBB

• Unique development-, genetic, epigenetic and micro-environment characteristics that are often resistent to treatments

• Rarity of brain tumors in comparison to other forms of cancer, which limits the finance level and interest, and the relatively small research community

Explain challenge 1: Redesign research pipeline

There is an incomplete understanding of brain tumor biology, and preclinical drug development and testing in the clinic do not match. There is also too little communication between these 2 parties, research pipelines are isolated. So deeper collaboration between basic and clinical researchers is essential to make progress as quickly as possible.

Explain challenge 2: Use neuroscience research

Too little use is being made of available resources and there needs to be more collaboration between neurobiology and cancer research so that more knowledge can be gained and joint investments can be raised.

Explain challenge 3: Understand the tumor microenvironment

A thorough understanding of the properties and functions of the TME is required to fully understand the biology and treatment of brain tumors.

Explain challenge 4: Develop preclinical models

Due to low number of patients available to participate in clinical trials, more predictive preclinical models, such as GEMMs & PDXs need to be created. This will allow treatments to be brought to the clinic faster.

Explain challenge 5: Drugging complex cancers

Discovering new treatments for brain tumors requires a much deeper understanding of the biology of potential drug targets, combined with the application of advanced approaches to drug development to inhibit these targets.

Explain challenge 6: Precision medicine

Tailor disease prevention and treatment to take into account differences in genes, environment and lifestyle. Genomic classification of brain tumors will increase the level of diagnostic precision currently achievable. The research community urgently needs to investigate the use of more advanced imaging techniques, as complementary approaches for the diagnosis and classification of brain tumors.

Explain challenge 7: Reduce treatment for some

Reducing intensity of treatment may lead to reduced side effects despite cure rates remaining high. It is difficult to determine which patients can be cured with these less intensive therapies. Possible solutions include selective therapy in which therapy is tailored to the tumor type, and screening for risk factors to tailor therapy to these factors.