Introduction to The Brain Tumour Charity’s Translational Award

The Brain Tumour Charity’s first Translational Award aims to get innovative treatments to patients faster and improve outcomes for those diagnosed with aggressive brain tumours like glioblastoma. Two teams of researchers in London and one in Wales are to receive funding from The Brain Tumour Charity as part of a new programme which aims to bridge the gap between the laboratory and patient care. The Charity’s first ‘Translational Award’ aims to overcome current hurdles by speeding up the process of getting promising laboratory findings to clinical trials so that, if successful, new medical treatments become a reality for patients faster.

Challenges in Brain Tumour Research

Right now, laboratory discoveries relating to relatively rare conditions like brain tumours often stall due to the complexities involved in replicating those findings in humans, the high costs of drug development at scale, and investors’ doubts about financial return. These challenges can hinder the progress of potential treatments and leave patients without access to the latest and most effective therapies.

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Recipient Projects of the Translational Award

The Award – grants of up to £400,000 each over 18 months – means the following projects can now take place:
John Anderson, Professor of Experimental Paediatric Oncology at UCL’s Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and his team are developing a new clinical trial for an improved type of immunotherapy to treat children with both high and low-grade brain tumours.
The therapy involves modifying a child’s own immune cells in the laboratory – CAR-T cell therapy – and returning them to the body to target and kill a protein called B7H3 that’s found on the surface of solid tumours. Healthy cells won’t be damaged.

Overcoming Challenges in Immunotherapy

One of the modifications aims to overcome the biggest challenge of using immunotherapy to treat brain tumours: the environment surrounding the tumour can weaken immune cells, making it harder for them to work properly. Over time, this exhausts T cells, and they stop being effective. To solve this, the team has developed a drug that switches the immune cells on and off. This gives the cells time to rest and recover so they can keep fighting the tumour for longer.

Novel “2-for-1” System

They’re also working on creating a novel “2-for-1” system which, at any one time, means one group of CAR-T cells is resting while the other is active. This could provide constant pressure on the tumour, while keeping the immune system strong. Prof Anderson said: “The UCL team is thrilled to receive this research grant through which we will focus our efforts to increase the therapeutic benefits of CAR-T cells for paediatric brain tumour patients.”

Addressing the Blood-Brain Barrier

Alongside the tumour microenvironment, another obstacle is the blood-brain barrier (BBB) which stops harmful substances like bacteria, viruses and toxins, from reaching the brain. But this means it can block potential therapeutics too.
Professor Maya Thanou, a specialist in pharmaceutical nanotechnology at King’s College London, has developed a medicinal vehicle called ‘ActNano’ which aims to transport and deliver multiple drugs to brain tumours.
When this vehicle is combined with MRI guided focused ultrasound, targeted waves of energy briefly open the BBB around the tumour and break down the ActNano particles to release the drugs inside them. This means that they only act on the tumour without affecting healthy cells.

Third Grant Recipient

The Brain Tumour Charity’s third grant is going to Dr Michael Hudson and the team at Gordian Pharma Ltd in Brecon who are developing a new drug that could be used alongside existing treatments to help stop glioblastoma from growing back. The projects were selected by The Charity’s Translational Advisory Board from a shortlist of nine and an initial 27 enquiries from research teams in both academia and industry.

The Brain Tumour Charity’s Commitment to Research

The Brain Tumour Charity is the UK’s largest dedicated funder of research into primary brain tumours globally. Since 2010, it has ploughed nearly £60m into the most promising research projects. This Award means The Brain Tumour Charity now funds every stage of the research pipeline – from discoveries in laboratories to clinical trials and quality of life research. Dr Simon Newman, Chief Scientific Officer at The Brain Tumour Charity, said: “We have developed our bespoke Translational Award to ruthlessly evaluate and drive the best concepts forward. Projects successfully emerging from this pipeline will be in a strong position to attract the significant further funding required from industry to move into clinical trials.

Accelerating Success and Failing Ideas Faster

“Our aim is to accelerate success or fail ideas faster if they cannot be translated. Through partnerships, we will develop industry-like standards of drug development to maximise the chances of success and future funding.” Professor Petra Hamerlik, Chair of The Brain Tumour Charity’s Translational Advisory Board and Chair of Translational Neuro-Oncology at The University of Manchester Cancer Research Centre, said: “I am delighted to see the first three outstanding projects funded through the inaugural Brain Tumour Charity Translational Award 2025.

Conclusion

These projects exemplify the innovative science The Charity is committed to supporting – research that bridges the gap between laboratory discovery and real-world patient impact. This award reflects The Charity’s dedication to accelerating the journey from bench to bedside, and I look forward to following the progress of these teams as they move closer to delivering tangible benefits for patients and families.

FAQs

Q: What is the purpose of The Brain Tumour Charity’s Translational Award?
A: The purpose of the Translational Award is to bridge the gap between laboratory discoveries and patient care by speeding up the process of getting promising findings to clinical trials.
Q: How much funding is provided through the Translational Award?
A: The Award provides grants of up to £400,000 each over 18 months.
Q: What types of projects are being funded through the Translational Award?
A: The funded projects include the development of a new clinical trial for an improved type of immunotherapy, a medicinal vehicle to transport and deliver multiple drugs to brain tumours, and a new drug to help stop glioblastoma from growing back.
Q: How were the recipient projects selected?
A: The projects were selected by The Charity’s Translational Advisory Board from a shortlist of nine and an initial 27 enquiries from research teams in both academia and industry.
Q: What is the ultimate goal of the Translational Award?
A: The ultimate goal is to accelerate the development of new treatments for brain tumours and improve outcomes for patients.