Funded Grants

SEED GRANT

Seed Grant Grantee: Boston Children’s Hospital
Project Lead: Christopher A. Walsh, MD, PHD
Primary Investigator: Thalia Preka, PHD
Grant Title: Investigating somatic mosaicism and tumor seed cells in glioblastoma
Program Area: Glioblastoma
Grant Type: UKF Seed Grant
Year Awarded: 2025-26
Amount: $50,000
Duration: 1 year

Summary: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the deadliest brain tumor. Even after aggressive treatment, including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, the tumor almost always comes back. This is thought to be the result of a small number of tumor seed cells surviving in seemingly healthy areas of the brain, even far away from the original tumor. These still “silent” tumor cells, resembling normal brain cell types, are believed to start the process of tumor regrowth, but little is known about what makes them different, how they arise, or how they interact and escape detection by the surrounding brain environment. This project aims to uncover the origins of GBM by studying the first genetic changes happening in these seed cells that divert them from normal brain cell development and turn them to tumor seed cells. We will use precious post-mortem brain tissues from GBM patients and apply a cutting-edge method that allows us to examine single brain cells in unprecedented detail. This technology can simultaneously detect genetic mutations, measure which genes are active, and assess the chemical marks that regulate gene activity. By combining this with advanced spatial methods, we will not only identify the mutations that spark GBM but also map where these seed cells hide in the brain and how they interact with nearby microglia—the brain’s immune cells and first point of contact in the brain. The outcome will be the first detailed atlas of how GBM begins, from the initial mutated cell through its first interactions with the brain’s immune system. By identifying the earliest, most vulnerable stages , this work could point to new ways to detect the disease earlier and design therapies that directly target the roots of GBM, preventing its recurrence, giving patients a better chance of long-term survival.