PI: Joseph Scafidi, DO, Children’s Research Institute
Grant duration, Aug. 2011–Sept. 2013. New, first year summary.
Childhood is a critical time because of rapid growth and development of the brain. During this period, the brain’s white matter, composed of myelin, is the last structure to fully mature. There is growing evidence that a disturbance in white matter development contributes to significant developmental delays. There is a large gap in knowledge in how newer molecularly targeted therapies used to treat pediatric brain tumors affect brain development, specifically white matter, during this critical period. This study, using a multidisciplinary approach, will assess and characterize the effect newly developed molecularly targeted agents have on myelin producing cells and determine whether this is dependent on developmental stage of the brain. This study will provide a better understanding of white matter development and establish new methods to assess the effects these therapies have on the developing brain.