# Targeting vulnerabilities of PPM1D-mutant gliomas

> **NIH NIH R37** · DANA-FARBER CANCER INST · 2021 · $403,607

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs) are devastating brain tumors of childhood with no curative treatments. We and
others have observed up to 15% of all DMGs to harbor activating mutations in PPM1D which encodes the WIP1
protein phosphatase. Similar mutations are also observed in other cancers, including leukemias and endometrial
cancers. PPM1D has been well-documented to regulate pathways important in DNA-damage responses,
including TP53. We have found PPM1D mutations to be sufficient to enhance glioma formation and for PPM1D
to be necessary for ongoing proliferation, nominating PPM1D as a potential therapeutic target for children with
PPM1D-mutant DMGs. The experiments outlined in this proposal will dissect the mechanisms through which
PPM1D mutations induce tumor formation and will identify vulnerabilities associated with these processes that
can be therapeutically targeted. The results of these experiments will be relevant to children with PPM1D-mutant
DMGs, in addition to a larger population of patients who harbor PPM1D-mutant cancers.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10097457
- **Project number:** 1R37CA255245-01
- **Recipient organization:** DANA-FARBER CANCER INST
- **Principal Investigator:** Pratiti Bandopadhayay
- **Activity code:** R37 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $403,607
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-02-01 → 2026-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10097457

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10097457, Targeting vulnerabilities of PPM1D-mutant gliomas (1R37CA255245-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10097457. Licensed CC0.

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