Dr. Brice Martin, instructor of pharmacology in the Department of Neurological Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine, has been awarded a grant of up to $50,000 from the Musella Foundation for Brain Tumor Research. The funding will support a groundbreaking investigation into the use of low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) and ThermoDox®—a thermosensitive formulation of the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin—for the treatment of diffuse midline glioma (DMG), a highly aggressive and currently incurable pediatric brain tumor.
DMG arises in the brain’s critical midline structures and is notoriously resistant to standard therapies, largely due to its inoperable location and the protective nature of the blood-brain barrier. “Standard chemotherapy has proven largely ineffective, and the tumor’s intact blood-brain barrier severely limits drug delivery,” said Dr. Martin.
To address these barriers, Dr. Martin and his team are developing a novel approach that pairs LIFU and intravenous microbubbles to induce mild, localized hyperthermia. This activates ThermoDox®, enabling it to release high concentrations of doxorubicin directly at the tumor site—minimizing systemic toxicity while maximizing therapeutic impact. “We believe this approach could dramatically improve the safety and precision of chemotherapy in pediatric patients,” he said.
Mark M. Souweidane, MD
The study will include LIFU parameter optimization, toxicity testing, and therapeutic efficacy trials. If successful, the findings could pave the way for safer, more targeted treatments for DMG and other difficult-to-treat brain tumors.
The initiative is a collaborative effort that also includes Dr. David Needham, inventor of ThermoDox®, and Dr. Katherine Onk. “This proposal creatively combines multiple innovative platforms aligned with our mission to provide hope for children with DMG and their families,” said Dr. Mark Souweidane, professor and vice chair of neurological surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine. “Brice Martin is paving new and promising paths.”
Learn more about our cutting-edge research and commitment to advancing pediatric brain tumor therapies at neurosurgery.weill.cornell.edu/research.
