More pediatric brain tumour research is urgently needed
Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is a rare brain tumour most common in children between ages 5 and 10 years old. These cancerous tumours are fast-growing and can quickly spread in critical areas of the brain or spinal cord, where complete surgical removal may be difficult or impossible.
While radiation can provide temporary relief, effective treatment options from DMG remain devastatingly limited. More research is urgently needed to understand the disease and develop treatments that can improve outcomes for children.
Through the 100% Fund, Childhood Cancer Canada and its funding partners are supporting two Canadian research projects exploring different ways to overcome the challenges of treating DMG.
The $100,000 grant awarded to each researcher will support the development of research projects that may help build the evidence needed to guide future treatment development and clinical trials for DMG.
Meet the 100% Fund grant recipients
James Rutka, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)
Enhancing Immunotherapy Delivery for Diffuse Midline Glioma Using MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound 
Dr. Rutka’s research investigates whether MRI-guided focused ultrasound can temporarily and precisely open the blood-brain barrier, potentially allowing immunotherapy drugs to reach brain tumours more effectively.
The team will study whether this approach can improve treatment delivery and the immune response to the tumour, while evaluating its potential effects on tumour growth, survival and safety.
Diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs) are aggressive brain tumours that primarily affect children and carry a very poor prognosis, with few effective treatment options. These tumours are difficult to treat because they arise in critical areas of the brain where surgery is not feasible. In addition, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects the brain and prevents most drugs from reaching the tumour.
DMGs also suppress the body’s immune system, limiting the effectiveness of treatments such as immunotherapy. This study leverages a non-invasive approach called magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS), which uses MRI-guided sound waves to temporarily and precisely open the BBB. This may allow immunotherapy drugs to reach the tumour more effectively.
Using preclinical models, we will test the effect of MRgFUS on immune-based therapeutic delivery and on immune response enhancement. We will also evaluate how this approach slows tumour growth, extends survival, and remains safe. By overcoming key barriers to treatment, this research aims to support the development of more effective therapies and guide future clinical trials for children with DMG.
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Shawn Beug, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
Targeting diffuse midline glioma with engineered NK cells to overcome antigen heterogeneity 
Immunotherapy aims to harness the body’s immune system to recognize and fight cancer. However, existing approaches can present challenges, including the time and resources needed to prepare patient-specific treatments.
Dr. Beug’s research will investigate an engineered natural killer (CAR-NK) cell therapy approach as a potentially safer alternative to CAR-T cell therapy for DMG. NK cells are natural cancer-fighting immune cells that have advantages over T cells. They can be prepared as “off-the-shelf” products (meaning they could be available more quickly and at a lower cost).
Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is one of the most heartbreaking childhood brain cancers. DMG tumors grow deep in the brain where surgery is usually not possible. Radiation therapy can ease symptoms for a short time but rarely changes the overall outcome. As a result, most children survive fewer than a year after diagnosis, and only about 2% of children are alive five years later. Despite decades of research, outcomes for children with DMG have not meaningfully improved, and new treatments are urgently needed.
One promising approach is chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapy, which reprograms immune cells to recognize and attack cancer. Early CAR-T cell studies in DMG have shown that this strategy can help some patients. However, CAR-T therapy can be difficult to manufacture quickly, requires patient-specific cells, and can sometimes cause serious side effects.
Our goal is to develop a new form of treatment called CAR natural killer (CAR-NK) cell therapy for DMG. NK cells are natural cancer-fighting immune cells that have advantages over T cells. They can be prepared as “off-the-shelf” products (meaning they could be available more quickly and at a lower cost), are safer than CAR-T cells, and can still attack cancer using their built-in killing ability. In this proposal, we will test whether CAR-NK cells can eliminate DMG in preclinical models, with the goal of laying the groundwork for a faster, safer treatment for children with DMG.
About the 100% Fund
The 100% Fund was established by Childhood Cancer Canada and the C17 Council, with pediatric cancer advocates and supporters, to advance research focused on childhood and adolescent cancers that are difficult to treat and have not responded to available therapies.
By bringing together charities, family-founded foundations, researchers and pediatric oncology programs, the 100% Fund helps direct investment toward areas of urgent need. Its focus is on research with the potential to make a meaningful difference for children who need better treatment options.
The two 2026 100% Fund grant awards for DMG are made possible through the contributions of Childhood Cancer Canada, Fight Like Mason Foundation and JAIDASJOURNEY – The Jaida Chartier Foundation, with support from C17 Council.
Help advance childhood cancer research
Your support helps Childhood Cancer Canada fund urgently needed pediatric research that can create a more hopeful future for children facing some of the most difficult-to-treat cancers.
Together, we can help advance research toward a future where no childhood is lost to cancer.