The American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA) is proud to announce Dr. Milan Chheda, Associate Professor of Medicine Division of Medical Oncology and Director of Neuro-Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine, has received the first-ever ABTA Special Project Grant supported by the Flexible Research Fund. His groundbreaking project shifts the focus from targeting the tumor itself to exploring the [HP1] characteristics of the host—the person with the brain tumor—and how the normal brain environment impacts tumor development and progression.
Shifting the Paradigm: Understanding the Aging Brain and Tumors
Instead of solely concentrating on destroying tumor cells, Dr. Chheda’s research will focus on the “host” factors that may influence the onset and behavior of brain tumors. His work is particularly focused on glioblastoma, a highly aggressive form of brain cancer often seen in older adults.
“There is a great deal of research trying to understand how to better kill tumor cells. Instead, we are asking how the normal brain impacts the tumor or even influences its development,” Dr. Chheda explains. “We are trying to understand how the normal aging brain affects brain tumors and whether drugs that target aged cells could help counterattack the tumor.”
Brain tumors, particularly glioblastoma, present significant treatment challenges. While therapies like chemotherapy, radiation, and tumor-treating fields have proven helpful, their effectiveness remains limited for the most aggressive tumors. Dr. Chheda aims to address this gap by developing therapies that target the host.
“Targeting the tumor has not paid off enough in neuro-oncology,” he notes. “We hope to develop therapies that impact the host, working in concert with tumor-directed therapies. This dual approach has the potential to enhance treatment outcomes significantly.”
Looking ahead, Dr. Chheda envisions the development of a new class of host-directed therapies.
“Since the early 2000s, there has been interest in precision medicine, where we match a tumor’s genetic profile with specific medications. In the long-term, we hope to expand precision medicine to precisely match treatments based on the person themselves, helping the body and brain eradicate the tumor,” he shares.
The ABTA Flexible Research Fund
The ABTA’s new Flexible Research Fund is a flexible approach to target research funding into key gaps in the brain tumor funding landscape. Special Project Grants supported by the fund are vetted by a committee of scientific and patient advocate reviewers. Through these projects, the ABTA intends to drive progress in under-recognized and under-funded areas of research to maximize impact for brain tumor patients.
The 2025 Special Project Grant and the establishment of the ABTA Flexible Research Fund was made possible by a generous contribution from Humor to Fight the Tumor, a nonprofit organization founded by the brain tumor survivor Joelle Syverson.
“We’re excited to partner with ABTA to offer an innovative approach to funding, address critical gaps in knowledge, and foster discoveries that can directly improve outcomes for brain tumor patients,” said Christina Saunders, Executive Director of Human to Fight the Tumor.
To learn more about the Flexible Research fund, visit https://www.abta.org/research/research-funding-impact-2/.
