Partnership unlocks new opportunities for our Plymouth scientists

Brain Tumour Research

2 min read

A vital funding boost has enabled scientists at our Centre of Excellence at the University of Plymouth to further their pioneering work in the study of meningiomas.

The investment from the US-based Children’s Tumor Foundation will allow researchers to address two critical gaps in meningioma research: the development of effective therapies that improve patient outcomes; and the inability to study the interactions between human immune cells and meningioma tumour cells in living systems before advancing new therapies to clinical trials.

The project includes three major components: developing a humanised meningioma model by transplanting mice models with human immune cells; characterising the immune cells commonly found in meningioma patients; and screening therapies to validate the model for drug development.

Once validated, the model will be made available to researchers worldwide, offering a ready-made platform to test therapies without the delays of building a model from scratch.

Dr Liyam Laraba (above), who we funded as a PhD student, is lead researcher on the initiative. Dr Laraba said: “Developing therapies for meningioma and other types of brain tumour represents a significant challenge for the global scientific community. Even when potential immunotherapies are identified, they will need to undergo several phases of complex testing, and no model exists to look at these therapies’ effectiveness or side-effects in a living organism.

“We believe this project could play a vital role in the process, creating a model on which therapies can be tested to ensure they are safe and effective. In the long run, that could ultimately shorten the time it takes for drugs to be validated and used for patient treatment.”

The partnership with Children’s Tumor Foundation represents a critical step forward in meningioma therapy development, leveraging our Centre’s leadership in research into brain tumours. The collaboration will improve the odds of success in clinical trials and deliver better treatment options for patients living with this devastating disease.