The Cure Starts Now Foundation and their partners The DIPG/DMG Collaborative today announced a $1 million research grant to support a joint project led by Seattle Children’s Hospital and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The award, the foundation’s “Big Fat Grant,” will accelerate development of promising new strategies to treat diffuse midline glioma (DMG), one of the most aggressive childhood brain cancers. 

This is the second year in a row the foundation has awarded this grant, a direct result of the generosity of its donors. This is the fourth largest grant awarded by the charity in its 18-year history. This landmark project builds on an ongoing clinical trial using B7-H3 CAR T cell therapy for DMG. 

With this new funding, researchers will explore ways to improve the tumor immune microenvironment, preparing it to better respond to treatment. By testing pre-treatment strategies such as radiation and laboratory-validated approaches, the team aims to create conditions that allow CAR T cells to work more effectively and deliver stronger, longer-lasting responses.

“The $1,000,000 Big Fat Grant is all about big ideas,” said Brooke Desserich, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Cure Starts Now. “By funding this innovative work, we’re helping to push the boundaries of what is possible for children facing DMG, while laying a foundation for breakthroughs across all brain cancers.”

The Cure Starts Now has raised over $37.5 million in cancer research and support across 80 institutions worldwide in tandem with the DIPG/DMG Collaborative. This latest grant reflects the foundation’s commitment to driving forward bold, collaborative research with the potential to unlock the universal cure for cancer.