Funding Meningioma-Specific Research
Meningioma Mommas is committed to funding only meningioma-specific research. We are fortunate to work alongside dedicated researchers who are tirelessly pursuing a cure for this complex condition.
If you or someone you know has been affected by a meningioma, we invite you to consider donating to help further this important work.
Thank You,
Meningioma Mommas Team
Research Projects We’ve Funded
We are proud to support a wide range of research aimed at better understanding and treating meningiomas. Below, you’ll find insights from some of the researchers whose work we help fund:
Elizabeth Claus, M.D., Ph.D.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital & Instructor, Harvard Medical School
Exogenous hormone use, reproductive factors, and risk of intracranial meningioma in females
Dental X-rays and Risk of Meningioma
The Meningioma Consortium Project
The Meningioma Family Study
The Meningioma Genome-Wide Association Study
“Our team will always be grateful for the support shown to us by the Meningioma Mommas. The Mommas provided not only financial assistance to our group but also cheered us on with never-ending enthusiasm. The funds donated to our group allowed us to get a number of pilot projects up and running. These projects helped to produce the necessary preliminary data for several large grants from the National Institutes of Health.
This research (which included many Mommas members as study participants) allowed us to report on associations between variables such as hormone replacement therapy, body mass index, family history, dental x-rays, and smoking with meningioma risk. We are also now examining genetic factors associated with risk, including those in meningioma patients treated with therapeutic radiation early in life.
With the increasing role of digital platforms and the growing demand for online resources, along with the reduction in funds available for medical research, the need to partner with energetic, well-organized patient support groups like the Mommas is more important than ever, and we look forward to working together with the Mommas for years to come.”
Long-Sheng Chang, Ph.D.
John Wayne Cancer Institute at Saint John’s Health Center
Evaluation of Novel Targeted Therapies for Both NF2-Associated and Sporadic Meningiomas
“From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely thank Meningioma Mommas for supporting our research. In a time when research funding is so competitive, any penny counts! ‘Fearless’ is the spirit that I have learned from patients with meningiomas like you. Despite how many tumors and surgeries you have and how life-altering the effects of these tumors are, you ‘never give up!’ I strongly believe that with your dedication and support, one day we will be able to eliminate this debilitating disease.
The overarching goal of our research is to develop a medical therapy that effectively eradicates both NF2-associated and sporadic meningiomas. To achieve this objective, we have undertaken two approaches. First, as the NF2 gene, which encodes tumor suppressor Merlin, is frequently inactivated in these tumors, we have interrogated two novel antibodies that target specific receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), such as ErbB3 and insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R). These RTK pathways are frequently deregulated in meningiomas due to NF2/Merlin loss. In our research, we’ve shown that targeting these receptors with antibodies effectively inhibits the growth of meningioma cells.
Second, as protein synthesis is frequently deregulated in many tumors, we investigated natural compounds capable of interfering with the protein translational apparatus. We identified silvestrol, a compound that blocks eIF4A activity, as a promising lead agent for treating NF2-deficient meningiomas. Our results suggest that silvestrol could be a viable candidate for clinical evaluation.
Currently, there is no FDA-approved targeted therapy for meningiomas. The availability of a medical therapy that effectively eradicates both NF2-associated and sporadic meningiomas would significantly improve clinical care and long-term treatment outcomes for these patients.”
Melanie Hayden Gephart, M.D., MAS
Stanford University
Gadolinium-based Contrast and Meningioma Monitoring
“As a brain tumor neurosurgeon, I apply novel technology to provide safer, more effective surgical treatments for my patients. This funding is crucial for jump-starting research programs not readily supported by other mechanisms. Thanks to Meningioma Mommas, we are advancing research to improve care for patients with meningiomas.”
Robert Martuza, M.D. & Hiroaki Wakimoto, M.D., Ph.D.
Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital
Anti-angiogenic Oncolytic Virus Therapy for Meningioma
“I truly appreciate Meningioma Mommas’ support, which is essential for us to take our exciting therapeutic approach to the clinic. Your generosity motivates us more than ever to work toward curing meningiomas.”
Michael McDermott, M.D.
Chief Medical Executive at Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute, Miami, FL
Postoperative Seizures and Convexity Meningiomas
“Meningioma Mommas’ support has been essential in helping us advance critical research on surgical outcomes and clinical characteristics of patients with meningiomas. This funding has enabled us to explore key questions about treatment and outcomes, which will guide better patient care moving forward.”
Randy Jensen, M.D., Ph.D.
Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah
Hypoxia-Regulated Proteins and Meningioma Growth
“Meningioma Mommas’ support has enabled us to carry out cutting-edge research that would not have been possible without this funding. We’re investigating the biology of meningiomas with the hope of improving treatments for patients.”
Garni Barkhoudarian, M.D.
John Wayne Cancer Institute
Novel Genomic & Proteomic Biomarkers of Meningiomas
“The grant from Meningioma Mommas has allowed us to analyze differences between meningioma grades to help us secure further funding. We look forward to realizing this study to improve care for meningioma patients.”
Albert H. Kim, M.D., Ph.D.
Washington University School of Medicine
Radiation Resistance in Atypical Meningiomas
“We are incredibly grateful for Meningioma Mommas’ funding, which is helping us identify molecular pathways that contribute to radiation resistance in meningiomas. Our findings will help improve the treatment of patients with these tumors.”
John Lee, M.D.
University of Pennsylvania
Meningioma Imaging Techniques
“With the support of Meningioma Mommas, we are conducting groundbreaking research on novel imaging techniques for early meningioma identification. Our preliminary results are promising, and we’re excited to take this to the next stage.”
Nader Sanai, M.D., FAANS, FACS
Barrow Neurological Institute
Study of LEE011 in Recurrent Malignant Meningiomas
“We are deeply honored to have Meningioma Mommas’ support. Your gift contributes to improved treatments and, ultimately, a cure for one of the most debilitating neurological conditions known to humankind.”
Damon Reed, M.D.
Director of the Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Program at Moffitt Cancer Center
Medical Director of Sarcoma Program at Moffitt Cancer Center
Affiliated with the University of South Florida’s College of Medicine, Oncologic Sciences Department
“Birth Desires and Intentions of Women Diagnosed with a Meningioma”
“I am writing to update the group regarding the results of the survey that was conducted through the Meningioma Mommas website by members of the group. As the group knows, meningiomas are rather common, though we don’t have a complete understanding of them at this moment. In particular, researchers have looked very hard at populations to try and determine the role that hormones may play in the development of meningiomas with mixed results. My wife was diagnosed with a meningioma shortly after the birth of our second daughter, which inspired this research. More to the point, the decision whether or not to have more children in the future and how that might change the risk of the meningioma coming back wasn’t known. Unfortunately, a true answer to this question is complicated, but I was struck by how little literature existed to guide the decision.
While struggling with this, I had the good fortune of meeting Dr. Benjamin Craig and his lab, including Michelle Owens. Their expertise allowed for a method to at least start to tackle the situation by finding out what others had been told in a similar situation. We wondered if others desired more children and what doctors may have told them about this. As a physician myself, I am often faced with patients’ requests for advice in the context of insufficient or mixed evidence to guide my recommendation.
As many of you may recall, we developed a survey consisting of the questions we were interested in, which would allow some comparison to the general population. We could not have launched this project without the support of Meningioma Mommas, even needing a letter of support in the early days to prove that this research could be completed. We would not have been able to conceive of this without your group being organized and willing to participate.
We are happy to report that the project has resulted in 2 publications. One of these is available online now, and the other is in the process of publication. “Birth desires and intentions of those diagnosed with a meningioma” demonstrated that the desire for more children was greater among women with meningioma than those in the general population, but the actual number of these women who go on to have children is lower, suggesting that something is leading to this result (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4524337/). Our subsequent manuscript “Women’s Risk of Meningioma Recurrence: the Experiences of a Survivor Support Group” has also been accepted and describes a limited set of outcomes for patients who went on to have children. Due to the small numbers, a solid conclusion about risks with subsequent pregnancy cannot be made.
On behalf of the team here at Moffitt, thank you for allowing the survey to be conducted through Meningioma Mommas. Thank you for your time and passion. Keep working towards improving the lives of others living with or yet to be diagnosed with a meningioma. We know there is still much work to be done and we hope our research will inspire others to enter the field or to take it to the next level.”