Neuro-oncology

Translating findings in cancer biology into new therapies for patients with primary brain tumors.

Leader: Jeffrey Bruce, MD, FACS

Program Meeting Schedule

Despite advances in the diagnosis and treatment of malignant brain tumors over the last several years, new and more effective therapies are needed. Members of the Neuro-Oncology Program are experts in clinical-trial development, biologic therapies, novel neurosurgical methods to enhance chemotherapeutic drug delivery, pre-clinical tumor-model development, and the cell biology of tumor and stem cell migration and invasion. Cooperative agreements with several biotechnology companies apply new technologies developed by the program to high-throughput screening platforms for drug discovery.

Major Themes

The program members come from four basic-science departments and five clinical departments. Their research revolves around the following themes:

• Tumor Migration and Invasion — exploring the spread of cancer within the brain
• Angiogenesis and Tumor Development — studying how tumors develop and how they stimulate blood vessel growth
• Drug Delivery — exploring ways to get drugs across the blood-brain barrier, including neurosurgical methods
• Phase I and II Trials — assessing the effectiveness of potential treatments