Charitable Partner
Oligodendroglioma: Oligodendroglioma (Oligo) is a currently incurable primary brain cancer, part of the glioma family that includes Glioblastoma (GMB). Oligos are rare tumors with approximately 20,000 living with the disease in the US. The standard of care - and patient outcomes - for Oligo has not changed in the past 20+ years, even though researchers believe that Oligo is a good target for developing effective treatments.
Oligo Nation: When Oligo Nation was founded, there was zero research directed at oligodendroglioma, and we remain the only foundation in the world focused on this disease. Our mission is to fund translational medical research that can lead new, more effective treatments within 5 years. We are not professional fundraisers or researchers; we are Oligo survivors and family members. We work with and support families that want to overcome this disease by raising money for medical research specifically targeting oligodendroglioma.
- Progress to date:
- Raised $4M in 8 years.
- More than 85% of our spending goes to research - compared to 20-40% for other foundations.
- Funded 18 medical research grants in the US and Europe.
- Developed first Oligo biobank and disease models repository.
- Leveraged resources at the National Cancer Institute to advance research.
- Provide hope and patient navigation to the Oligo community.
The Oligo Research Network: The research terrain of oligodendroglioma is largely unexplored and, therefore, we need a comprehensive, integrated effort to identify and pursue the best research opportunities to unlock more effective treatments. In 2022, we launched a small but powerful research network that will deliver team science, leading to new clinical trials and medical treatments. This approach has demonstrated impressive results for other rare brain tumors in the past few years.
The team includes leaders in the field of immunotherapy, cell-based therapy and drug delivery as well as disease models, bioinformatics, and the key "omics" (proteomics, metabolomics, etc.) that are the basis for many new therapeutic approaches. These researchers come from leading brain cancer research centers, including:
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
- DFKZ (Cancer Center, Germany)
- Massachusetts General, The Broad Institute
- Stanford
- UCLA
- UFL
- Duke
- Harvard
- Northwestern
- UCSF
- UT Southwestern
We have made great strides, but there is so much more to do. At Oligo Nation we are here to help you, inspire you, and - together with you - to change our future. Please join us.
