II FERO-Aladina Grant in Pediatric Cancer – Dr. Luciano Di Croce

Diffuse midline glioma is one of the most aggressive pediatric cancers and currently there is no effective cure.

The project, funded by FERO Cancer and sponsored by the Aladina Foundation, seeks to develop new precision therapies to treat this cancer. Specifically, Dr. Luciano Di Croce’s team focuses on studying the tumor’s epigenetics, that is, those mechanisms that alter the way tumor cells express their genes without modifying their genetic information. To this end, they will use drug screening platforms, advanced molecular analyses, and innovative preclinical models, including brain organoids and patient-derived animal models, to identify and develop new treatments that block an epigenetic mechanism they have identified as essential for tumor growth.

The ultimate goal is to find more effective and specific treatments to improve the prognosis of children affected by this disease.