NIH Funding Cuts Delay Promising Pediatric Brain Cancer Trials
Federal funding changes disrupted clinical trials for pediatric brain cancer in the U.S., delaying research into new treatments like an experimental mRNA therapy. The disruption came after a key trial network, the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium (PBTC), lost NIH support following a review by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This delay may have cost precious time for patients such as 8-year-old John Paul Macri, who was diagnosed with DIPG in March 2025 and is now in hospice care. The PBTC had been instrumental in supporting clinical trials since its founding by the National Cancer Institute in 1999. The loss of funding halted new patient enrollment for critical research efforts like those at Weill Cornell Medical Center, which called it a
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Topics: Clinical Trial Delays DIPG Funding Changes mRNA Treatment Pediatric Brain Cancer