GLIMMERS OF HOPE... yet funding is not guaranteed, we need your support


Advances are being made but finding a cure for all types of brain tumours will not happen overnight, it needs more years of dedicated research if we are to achieve the same successes in treatments as have been discovered for diseases such as leukaemia, breast and lung cancer.

Currently UK brain tumour charities raise around £2million a year between them.  This total is a fantastic sum and goes to providing support and information and to funding research...but it is not enough!

Finding a cure and resolving the issues needs heroes to get behind the cause and to raise awareness both within their own communities, companies and nationally.

January 2007 - 1004 Genes expressed differences between tumours
and normal brain

Ali’s Dream are delighted that as their first funded project comes to an end, Dr Tracy Warr, Institute of Neurology, University College London, is excited with the results:

“We have completed global gene expression analysis of 60 paediatric astrocytoma samples of all grades of malignancy and have identified 1004 genes which are significantly differently expressed between tumours and normal brain. These include gene networks associated with cell proliferation, cell invasion and migration and programmed cell death”.

Tracy has applied for a grant to continue this research in order to determine the mechanisms by which these genes are inappropriately regulated in tumours.  Ali’s Dream cannot guarantee her project will be recommended by their advisory board.  They only wish they had enough money to fund all of the project applications they receive!

January 2007 - PHD FUNDING

The Brain Tumour Research Campaign charity has co-funded two new research posts with Imperial College, London and Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Birmingham.  The two PhD students – Dr Karolina Janczar and Dr Bob Homapour – will investigate what causes low grade tumours to transform into more aggressive ones, making use of the data and tissue collected for the BTRC register.

January 2007 – Research Workshop Initiative

Ali’s Dream sponsored and led a workshop titled ‘What is limiting progress into brain tumour research in the UK’.  Representatives from research charities: Ali’s Dream, Charlie’s Challenge, Brain Tumour Research Campaign and Brain Tumour UK, joined forces with scientists from Portsmouth, Liverpool, Newcastle, Cambridge, Wolverhampton and London to identify the issues and agree a strategy going forward.  It was agreed that we should set up working parties to explore:

1) Establishing a national brain tumour funding consortium
2) Identifying opportunities for scientists to collaborate

Mark Matfield from the association for International Cancer Research and Paul Herington from Wessex Cancer Trust provided useful insight into attracting funding from large funders such as the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Cancer Research UK. He particularly highlighted the need to focus on the strategic benefit that this area of research will bring.