The latest news:

• Out of Warburg Effect: an effective cancer treatment targeting the tumor specific metabolism and dysregulated pH.         I like the approach. We had a few articles recently on this approach. Maybe combining some would make sense.
  



• The Musella Foundation announced that it has awarded a $25,000 brain tumor research grant        This project involves a new material that can be 3-d printed into the shape of a bone flap, which can be inserted when the original bone flap created during a brain tumor surgery, can't be used (such as for infections or necrosis).  This new material quickly transforms into real bone.
  



• 17th Annual UCLA Brain Tumor Conference         This is an excellent conference. Worth going to!  
  



• Optimism and Opportunity as we Initiate Clinical Trials for MGMT-unmethylated GBM Patients at MD Anderson         This is a blog post from the chairman of the company that makes Val-083.   I think this trial will accrue patients faster than they predict as the early results are impressive and there really are not many competing trials looking for this patient population:  Patients with GBM who have failed Avastin and have unmethylated MGMT.  Worth looking at this trial.
  



• Development of the SIOPE DIPG network, registry and imaging repository: a collaborative effort to optimize research into a rare and lethal disease         This is an international collaboration to try to find the cure of DIPG. DIPG is a rare brain tumor that mostly affects children.  Since it is so rare, no one institution has enough patients to figure out the answers we need to cure this devastating disease. By working together, it will greatly speed up the progress. The Musella Foundation is mentioned in the article as one of the funders!  
  



• FDA Grants New Clearance for Brain Surgery Technology         These 2 new approvals should help make brain tumor surgery safer, and also may turn some inoperable tumors into operable ones!
  



• Northwell Health is First on Long Island to Acquire Synaptive Medical’s BrightMatter™ Technology for Complex Brain Tumor and Spinal Surgery         This technology will help make braintumor surgery safer, and may also make some tumors that were thought inoperable, operable! Disclosure: I am on the patient advisory board of this medical center!
  



• Researchers at Yale have taken steps toward a ‘completely unexpected’ new way to treat brain cancer         Interesting use of an already approved drug for brain tumors with IDH mutations. It hasn't been tried in clinical trials yet.
  



• New Brain Cancer Coalition Announces Precision Medicine Study During CHOP Event         I love collaborations like this. It will help speed up the search for the cure. An interesting part of this is that Independent Blue Cross will pay for the genomic testing of the patients for their patients.  Cost was a big stumbling block for some similar projects. The Musella Foundation helped fund some of the early work on this!
  

BrainTumor Co-Payment Assistance Program Status:

• CLOSED to new applicants