Dr. Biplab Dasgupta Research Update

TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation

Grant Quarterly Report – 1/31/2023

Project Title: Therapeutic Blockade of Metabolic Dependencies in Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma 

Institution: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center 

Researcher:  Dr. Biplab Dasgupta 

We discovered that antifolate inhibitors of ATIC synergize with inhibitors of one carbon metabolism and with diets reduced in folic acid. We have partially completed toxicity studies of our drug-diet combinations by performing blood and liver enzyme analysis in mice and results are encouraging. We are using methotrexate or the ATIC inhibitor LSN in combination with Shin2 (an inhibitor of 1-carbon metabolism) in folate-containing or folate deficient diet to test if this drug-diet combination eradicates DIPG. We are also extending our ATIC genetic studies (CRISPR) to other DIPG lines and in a mouse model of brainstem glioma.