DIPG Blog, News, and Articles
A New Clue to Radiation Resistance in DIPG/DMG
July 31, 2026
New research is exploring how a once-overlooked molecule may influence diffuse midline glioma—and could help guide future treatment strategies. For children diagnosed with DMG, including diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), radiation therapy remains the standard treatment. It can temporarily slow tumor growth, improve neurological symptoms…
New MRI Research Could Help Doctors See Aggressive DIPG/DMG Tumor Cells
June 30, 2026
After treatment, families often wait for MRI results with one painful question hanging over everything: What are we really seeing? Is the tumor active? Is it treatment-related change? Are aggressive cells still there before a standard scan can clearly show what is happening? A Cure Starts Now-funded research project at Johns Hopkins is exploring a…
Using AI to Prepare for a Clinical Trial Conversation After a DIPG/DMG Diagnosis
April 30, 2026
In my role as a Research Support Coordinator, with a background in nursing and clinical trials, much of my work has focused on helping make complex clinical information more accessible. One of the most consistent challenges I see is how much information families are given early in the process, and how complex that information can be. In diseases…
A Collaborative Effort to Move Toward New Treatments for DIPG
January 23, 2026
Families facing a diagnosis of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma ( DIPG ), also known as diffuse midline glioma ( DMG ) are often thrown into a world filled with uncertainty, fear, and questions that do not have easy answers. These tumors grow deep within the brain, in areas responsible for essential functions such as breathing, movement, and…
A More Precise CAR T-Cell Approach for DIPG and DMG
January 20, 2026
For families affected by DIPG and DMG , progress in treatment has often felt frustratingly slow. While many experimental therapies have shown early promise, few have been able to overcome the challenges that matter most in real-world care: safety in the brain, durability of response, and the ability to target tumor cells without harming healthy…
A New Way to “Switch Off” DMG: How Dr. Tsai Is Targeting FOXR2
June 6, 2025
Diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs) are among the most aggressive pediatric brain tumors—and they’re notoriously difficult to treat. But thanks to new research led by Dr. Jessica Tsai at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles , scientists are exploring a way to “switch off” the cancer itself—right at the source. What’s Being Targeted? FOXR2 At the heart of…
Research Update: Investigating the Role of DIPG-Derived Exosomes in Tumor Growth and Invasion
January 12, 2024
Cell & Bioscience
Background Paediatric-type diffuse High-Grade Gliomas (PDHGG) are highly heterogeneous tumours which include distinct cell sub-populations co-existing within the same tumour mass. We have previously shown that primary patient-derived and optical barcoded single-cell-derived clones function as interconnected networks. Here, we investigated the role…
Characteristics of children ≤36 months of age with DIPG: A report from the international DIPG registry
December 27, 2022
Neuro-Oncology
As a supplement to the Journal of Clinical Oncology 2018 publishing from the International DIPG/DMG Registry and statistics of DIPG and DMG, the International DIPG/DMG Registry releases new age specific findings and long-term survival prognosis. Background Children ≤36 months with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) have increased long-term…
Are There Any Survivors of DIPG?
September 30, 2022
thecurestartsnow.org
The following article first appeared on thecurestartsnow.org The diagnosis of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma ( DIPG ) or diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is often casually regarded as a terminal cancer, but what are the true statistics regarding survival? For the first time since the classification of DIPG and DMG we now have these numbers due to…
Research Update: CBD use in DMG
June 29, 2022
Neuro-Oncology
Abstract Diffuse midline gliomas (DMG) are highly invasive brain tumors with rare survival beyond two years past diagnosis and limited understanding of the mechanism behind tumor invasion. Previous reports demonstrate upregulation of the protein ID1 with H3K27M and ACVR1 mutations in DMG, but this has not been confirmed in human tumors or…
Characteristics of patients ≥10 years of age with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma: a report from the International DIPG/DMG Registry
February 17, 2022
Neuro-Oncology
As a supplement to the Journal of Clinical Oncology 2018 publishing from the International DIPG/DMG Registry and statistics of DIPG and DMG, the International DIPG/DMG Registry releases new age specific findings and long-term survival prognosis. Background Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas ( DIPG ) generally occur in young school-age children…
Compassionate Use, Expanded Access, and Off-Trial Use of Treatments for DIPG / DMG
January 17, 2022
When confronting a diagnosis of DIPG / DMG, clinical trials are often the first resort beyond or concurrent with radiation for treatment options. Although these trials may not offer a cure, phase 2 and phase 3 trials do offer a limited measure of comfort from life-threatening side effects. But if these options don’t work, many patients find…
Australian Researchers Find New Way to Target Deadly Childhood Cancer With CBL0137
April 13, 2021
The Cure Starts Now
The following article originally appeared on thecurestartsnow.org . Research by Australian scientists could pave the way to a new treatment for a currently incurable brain cancer in children called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, or DIPG . Affecting about 150-300 children in US each year, DIPG is a devastating disease with a median survival…
Steroids – Practical Advice from a Parent's Perspective
March 24, 2021
When a child is diagnosed with DIPG, they are commonly put on a steroid . Because of the location of DIPG , the high risk of the tumor swelling and causing more side effects, the use of steroids are necessary to help. Steroids are an anti-inflammatory used to reduce swelling and inflammation around the tumor. “What we are using the steroids for in…
Practical Advice from Parents for Newly Diagnosed DIPG Families
March 3, 2021
A cancer diagnosis is difficult enough but when the diagnosis is for a child, it’s life-altering and one of the single most devastating events in a parent’s life. There is no set path to trek when handling a childhood cancer diagnosis. Advice from parents who have been down this road can provide hope and tips for handling treatment and making…
Breakthrough International Cancer Trial Halts Tumor Growth
February 23, 2021
The Cure Starts Now
The following article originally appeared on thecurestartsnow.org The Cure Starts Now Foundation funds novel trial that halts tumor growth in 2/3 of study CINCINNATI | February 18, 2021 – The Cure Starts Now announced that the Polyamine Pathway Metabolism as a Novel Therapeutic Option for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma ( DIPG ) grant, funded in…