Kazia would like to share a video interview with leading cancer researcher at the Hunter Medical Research Institute and The University of Newcastle, Dr Matt Dun.
To mark World Brain Tumour Day, Dr Dun kindly shared some of his time recently to discuss Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) – the most aggressive form of childhood brain cancer.
DIPG is a deadly disease, with a survival rate of less than 1%, and most commonly affects children between four and 11 years old.
Dr Dun began his research program into the disease after his daughter – Josie, 3 – was sadly diagnosed with DIPG last year. His research is particularly focused on predicting the progression of DIPG in its early stages and testing new therapies in a bid to improve survival.
Kazia’s brain cancer drug GDC-0084 is one of the therapies he has been working with.
In the video, Dr Dun talks about:
- The incidence of DIPG, with around 15-20 kids diagnosed with the disease each year in Australia and around 300 children in the US
- His very personal motivations to find new treatments for this devastating disease
- His focus on a cancer pathway called PI3 kinase
- How GDC-0084 is one of the most potent PI3 kinase inhibitors and has the potential to cross the blood brain barrier – a very important aspect in treating brain cancer
Watch the video below.
