Queen Mary University of London

The Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at Queen Mary University of London is developing personalised treatments for glioblastoma in adults and discovering gentler, more specific and effective therapies for childhood brain tumours, including medulloblastoma, diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), and ependymoma.

Leveraging the power of epigenetics — the study of how genes are turned on or off — the Centre is identifying genes that are crucial for tumour growth in individual patients and exploring whether these genes can be targeted with new or repurposed drugs, paving the way for innovative, personalised cancer treatments.

Each year in the UK, 3,200 people are diagnosed with glioblastoma, a highly aggressive and variable tumour that is incredibly difficult to treat. Scientists at our Queen Mary Research Centre are developing a unique approach that compares healthy and cancerous cells from the same patient to identify genes essential for tumour growth. They are investigating whether these genes can be targeted with existing drugs and testing their predictions in the laboratory — offering hope for more effective and tailored therapies for glioblastoma patients.

For children with medulloblastoma, DIPG, and ependymoma tumours, current treatments are gruelling and can cause lifelong side effects and disabilities. Researchers at the Centre are leveraging their expertise in epigenetics to uncover genes vital to these tumours, aiming to develop innovative, gentler therapies with fewer side effects for these young patients.

Personalised treatments for brain tumour patients

The Centre, located at the Blizard Institute at Queen Mary University of London and led by Professor Silvia Marino, has developed a state-of-the-art method to compare healthy and cancerous cells from the same patient to understand how tumour cells control gene expression (turn genes on or off). This method has allowed researchers to identify genes that are essential for tumour growth specific to each patient which could be targeted with repurposed drugs.

The research has already pinpointed several key genes for tumour growth and helped us understand how these genes are controlled. It has also revealed new sub-groups of glioblastoma with implications for treatment.

In the next phase, the team aims to:

Speed up the process of comparing healthy and diseased cells to aid translation into the clinic
Identify new genes essential for tumour growth
Explore additional mechanisms that cells use to turn genes on or off

This innovative approach is paving the way for personalised treatments for glioblastoma patients, offering hope for more effective and tailored therapies.

Speed up the process of comparing healthy and diseased cells
Researchers, led by co-investigator Dr Thomas Millner and Prof Marino, are working to refine the process of comparing healthy and diseased cells. Their goal is to identify genes and predict effective treatments in a timeframe that can inform treatment decisions. This means that future patients could receive treatments that have already been proven effective for their specific tumour.

To achieve this, Queen Mary launched a clinical trial in collaboration with Barts Brain Tumour Centre in August 2024. Aiming to enrol up to 200 patients with high-grade gliomas over five years, researchers will use this to refine and improve their research methods.
Identify genes essential for tumour growth
Exploiting one mechanism that cells use to turn genes on or off (DNA methylation), Prof Marino and her team are looking to identify new genes essential for glioblastoma growth. They are screening repurposed drugs that target these genes to find new treatments that slow or stop tumour growth.

DNA methylation works by adding small chemical tags to DNA, which block the machinery needed to read gene instructions, thus turning the gene ‘off’.
Explore additional mechanisms that cells use to turn genes on or off
Dr Lovorka Stojic and Dr Radu Zabet, along with their research teams, are investigating the less-understood mechanisms cells use to turn genes on or off.

They want to understand how gene control mechanisms, involving molecules called enhancers and long non-coding RNA, influence which genes are active in tumour cells. Their research could identify new genes that are crucial for tumour growth and be targeted with drugs.

In the news: New trial could revolutionise treatment for brain tumour patients

A new trial could pave the way for personalised treatments for one of the deadliest types of brain tumours.

Scientists at the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at Queen Mary University of London, are working to see if they can use the unique make-up of a patient's tumour to predict effective treatment options for people with high-grade gliomas, such as glioblastoma.

In collaboration with Barts Brain Tumour Centre, this initial observational testing will bring us one step closer to timely and personalised treatment for patients.

Finding new treatments for paediatric brain tumours

Led by co-investigators Dr Sara Badodi and Dr Sindhuja Sridharan, researchers at our Queen Mary Centre are developing kinder and more effective ways to treat childhood brain tumours, including medulloblastoma, DIPG and ependymoma. They are focused on two main areas:

How cells use a process called chromatin remodelling to turn genes on or off, and if that could make tumours more vulnerable to treatment.
How the proteins that are present in a cell are influenced by these changes.

They will use this information to develop molecularly-tailored therapies with enhanced efficacy to improve prognosis and quality of life.

What is the impact of changes to DNA structure on childhood brain tumours?

Dr Badodi and her team are investigating how chromatin remodelling—a process cells use to switch genes on or off—affects paediatric tumour cells. Their goal is to understand the mechanisms and impact of this remodelling to discover new targets and treatments that are kinder on the developing brain.

One promising treatment is Inositol-6-Phosphate (IP6). In 2021, Dr Badodi's team showed that not only is IP6 effective against Group 4 medulloblastoma tumours, but it also spared healthy brain tissue. They are now exploring whether combining IP6 with standard treatments like chemotherapy can improve patient outcomes.

Targeting tumour proteins: personalised treatments for childhood brain tumours

Dr Sridharan and her team are studying how proteins in tumour cells differ from those in normal cells to find new pathways and targets for treatment.

Proteins are essential molecules in cells that carry out various functions such as building and repairing tissues. Changes in protein levels and modifications can affect how tumour cells grow and survive.

The research team is comparing proteins in tumour cells with those in healthy cells to identify specific proteins that drive tumour growth. Once identified, they can develop treatments targeting these proteins. This approach aims to create personalised treatments that are more effective and have fewer side effects.