Damon Runyon Researchers

New therapeutic approaches are urgently needed for children suffering from high-risk medulloblastoma, a form of pediatric brain cancer, where half of children will experience disease relapse leading to death. Dr. Prensner’s [Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation Clinical Investigator] work is focused on understanding the biological underpinnings of high-risk medulloblastoma and developing new treatment options. His team recently found that high-risk medulloblastoma may exploit an imbalance in the production of proteins from the tumor cell genetic material (RNA, DNA). Dr. Prensner aims to define the cancer biology that causes an imbalance in the protein-RNA ratio in medulloblastoma, and investigate specific therapeutic options that may target this biology. His hope is that this work leads to new options for clinical trials for children with high-risk medulloblastoma.