Research And Grants

Understanding the influence of the microbiome on treatment and outcome of pediatric high-grade central nervous system tumors

It turns out there is a lot we can learn about a person from their gut! Prior studies have shown that specific bacteria correlate with different responses to cancer treatments, and in particular immune-based treatments. This study aims to look at how the bacteria (both good and bad) that live in our guts influence the immune system and response to treatment of pediatric brain and spinal cord tumor patients. We will analyze stool collected from patients with diffuse midline gliomas and other high-grade central nervous system tumors enrolled on DMG-ACT trials through the Pacific Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium. We aim to identify distinct bacteria and metabolism profiles that predict which patients do better or worse with particular treatments.