When a child’s brain tumor relapses, families and physicians are often forced to make treatment decisions with little guidance. Fewer than 30% of children respond to chemotherapy at relapse, meaning many endure toxic treatments without benefit. Dr. Stergios Zacharoulis at Columbia University Irving Medical Center is leading an innovative effort to change that reality by identifying which treatments are most likely to work before they are given to a child.
This research uses a powerful technique called organotypic slice culture (OSC). Using a small slice of a child’s tumor—preserved in its natural microenvironment—researchers can rapidly test multiple drugs and drug combinations to see how the tumor actually responds. These “tumor slices” closely mimic how cancer behaves in the body, similar to traditional mouse (avatar) models, but in a fraction of the time.
Dr. Zacharoulis and his team are applying this approach to aggressive pediatric brain tumors, including medulloblastoma, Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumors (ATRT), and Embryonal Tumors with Multilayered Rosettes (ETMR). In addition to drug testing, the team is studying each tumor’s unique molecular fingerprint to better understand what drives treatment resistance and tumor growth.
This approach has the potential to spare children from ineffective therapies, reduce unnecessary toxicity, and help doctors make smarter, faster treatment decisions. Just as importantly, it could guide children toward clinical trials where they are most likely to benefit, improving outcomes for those facing the most difficult diagnoses.
By supporting this work, the Ty Louis Campbell Foundation and our partners are helping to move pediatric brain tumor care closer to truly personalized medicine—where treatment decisions are guided by a child’s own tumor biology, not trial and error.
