U. of Cincinnati launches brain cancer research program with $6.5M

The University of Cincinnati has earmarked $6.5 million to launch a research program dedicated to better understanding how cancer spreads in the brain.

A gift of $2 million for the program comes from the Harold C. Schott Foundation, while the remaining $4.5 million comes from the University’s College of Medicine, according to a statement from the University of Cincinnati (UC).

Brain metastases are secondary tumor sites that occur when cancer spreads from the point of origin to another organ or part of the body. More than 170,000 people are diagnosed annually with a secondary cancer that has spread to the brain, according to the National Cancer Institute.

UC said it believes the new program is “the first comprehensive brain metastasis-specific translational research program” in the country, according to the statement. A major focus of the program will involve building a research team that will collaborate with brain tumor surgeons and clinicians to study brain metastases through traditional research and clinical trials.

The university is currently recruiting for three new faculty members to conduct laboratory and preclinical research studies aimed at understanding the biology of brain metastases, according to the statement.

“For a long time, brain metastases have been treated as an orphan disease — given little research funding and stalling any progress toward improved treatment strategies,” said Dr. Ronald Warnick, director of the UC Brain Tumor Center. “We hope to change that through this new program.”