Brain tumors are among the deadliest of childhood cancers - the leading cause of children’s cancer deaths.

The two most aggressive, hard-to-treat varieties include diffuse midline glioma (DMG) and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG).

Fewer than a dozen children are participating in a groundbreaking clinical trial in the Twin Cities, the culmination of some 20 years of research at the University of Minnesota, funded by Children’s Cancer Research Fund.

For families facing DMG, this trial represents long-awaited progress — and hope.

“For far too long, there hasn’t been an effective way to fight DMG,” says Anne Bendel, MD, director of the Neuro-oncology Program at Children’s Minnesota. “This clinical trial is a critical step toward changing that reality for kids. Caring for [these] patients reminds us why research matters—every child deserves a healthy, happy future with the people they love most.”

A healthy child’s immune system can attack and defeat some cancer cells, but DMG puts up a “protein shield.” Decades of research have finally produced a shield-busting molecule. The new clinical trial is testing this molecule in combination with a new vaccine.

Major U.S. investment firms, top wealth advisors and philanthropists across the country came together with Children’s Cancer Research Fund to support the clinical trial.

Behind Every Breakthrough Is a Donor Who Believed Better Was Possible.

This clinical trial is made possible through the generosity of CCRF donors. Your support fuels the discoveries that could change — and save — the lives of children facing the most aggressive cancers.