Navigating the Frontiers of Medulloblastoma: A Q&A with Anusha Preethi Ganesan, MD, PhD
Medulloblastoma is a type of brain tumor that starts in the lower back part of the brain, quickly spreads to other parts of the brain and spine, and most commonly affects children. Moores Member Dr. Anusha Preethi Ganesan is leading groundbreaking research, recently funded by a St. Baldrick's Grant, to develop needed and effective treatments for Medulloblastoma. Her research identifies innovative combinations of targeted therapies alongside immunotherapy to treat this rare cancer. In this Q&A, Dr. Preethi Ganesan describes the scope, importance, and influence of her research.
WHAT SPECIFIC PROBLEM OR CHALLENGE DOES YOUR RESEARCH TARGET?
Although rare, medulloblastoma is the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor, which is fatal in 40% of patients. Among survivors of medulloblastoma, treatment-related morbidity leads to reduced quality of life. New, more effective treatments for this cancer are desperately needed, and my research team and I hope to identify them, through our research.
WHY IS THIS RESEARCH MEANINGFUL AND IMPORTANT?
Although immunotherapy has been successful in treating adult cancers, medulloblastoma in children has not been responsive to immunotherapy, likely because of poor T cell infiltration. Indeed, our studies have shown striking T cell clonal expansion, effector programs, tumor-reactivity, and PD-1 expression in medulloblastoma tumors. This suggests that T cell responses are generated de novo, with the potential to respond to immunotherapy, despite an observed lack of clinical response. Our goal is to determine the mechanistic basis of the resistance to immunotherapy in medulloblastoma to (1) enhance therapeutic T cell targeting and (2) synergistically combine this with other treatment modalities, to better treat children facing medulloblastoma.
HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN THIS TYPE OF RESEARCH?
As a pediatric oncologist and physician-scientist, my research interests have been driven by not only my clinical experience in caring for children with cancer, but also my knowledge of the power of research to improve that care.
WHAT ARE THE EXPECTED RESULTS OR OUTCOMES OF YOUR RESEARCH?
A better understanding of how to harness immunotherapy to treat medulloblastoma is the goal of my research. A promising strategy to overcome resistance to immunotherapy is to use it in combination with targeted agents and epigenetic modifiers. Through research in this area, my team and I are uncovering the immunomodulatory effects of these agents and the optimal conditions for combining them to treat medulloblastoma more effectively and improve the lives of the children—and their parents—battling it.
HOW DO YOU EXPECT THESE RESULTS TO IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY, RESEARCH FIELD, AND CLINIC?
My and my team’s research will pave the way for a Phase I/II trial that can test new combinations of immunotherapy with targeted agents and epigenetic modifiers to better treat medulloblastoma. Our research also will open doors for harnessing immunotherapies in other pediatric cancers, through evidence-driven combinations with relevant molecular targeted therapies, which can better serve the cancer needs of the community.
Dr. Anusha Preethi Ganesan's innovative research at Moores provides renewed hope in the battle against this rare, pediatric brain cancer.