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Accomplishments

Seed money that saves lives

By providing seed money for early-stage research, Brian's Fund enables projects to take place, leads to increased funding based on initial findings, and has made possible several important scientific advances at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Massachusetts General Hospital

A partnership that built a clinic and seeded a field

Brian's Fund has been critical in establishing and supporting the Brian D. Silber Spine Tumor Clinic at MGH. This multidisciplinary clinic offers comprehensive evaluation and treatment for patients with spinal tumors, conducts innovative research, and provides far-reaching education through lectures and laboratory work.

Brian's radiation oncologist, Dr. Jay Loeffler, oversaw the initial spending of funds granted to MGH. Today, neurosurgeon Dr. William Curry oversees this program.

$2.5M+

Granted to date by Brian's Fund to the Brian D. Silber Memorial Fund at Massachusetts General Hospital — supporting clinic, research, and education.

ClinicCare for spinal tumor patients

The Brian D. Silber Spine Tumor Clinic at MGH

ResearchDiscovery that changes the game

From a named MGH laboratory to breakthroughs in diagnosis and immunotherapy

Research on spinal cord tumor diagnosis and immunotherapy is led by Drs. William Curry, Ganesh Shankar, and Bryan Choi in the Department of Neurosurgery at MGH (2018–present).

2024 Update — Tumor Diagnosis · Dr. Ganesh Shankar

  • Identified specific DNA mutations as markers for certain brain and spinal cord tumors.
  • Developed a method to detect these mutations in cerebrospinal fluid — no invasive biopsy needed. The ultrarapid test has an 80-minute turnaround.
  • Now implemented in the MGH Pathology Lab and ordered by clinicians at MGH and around the US.
  • Has helped diagnose and treat patients — in some cases without ever requiring surgery.

2024 Update — Immunotherapy · Dr. Bryan Choi

  • Identified multiple genes associated with tumor progression across IDH-mutant tumors.
  • Understanding these genes may allow more optimal targeting of brain and spinal cancers with immune therapy.
  • Findings support that intervention may be more effective at earlier stages, prior to transformation to higher-grade tumors.

Earlier work includes Dr. Shankar's spinal cord astrocytoma genomics (2014–2017) and the landmark 2016 publication "BRAF Alteration Status and the Histone H3F3A Gene K27M Mutation Segregate Spinal Cord Astrocytoma Histology," plus research in the laboratories of Dr. Scott Plotkin and Dr. Arnab Chakravarti — the first MGH researcher funded by Brian's Fund.

EducationThe Brian D. Silber Lecture

Eighteen lectureships in the historic Ether Dome at MGH

Each year a clinician or researcher in the field of spinal tumors is invited to MGH to present their work and meet with faculty — a valuable way to collaborate, learn, and share advances in spinal tumor care.

2024
Dr. C. Rory Goodwin
Priming: The Landscape of Spinal Oncology
Duke University Medical Center
2023
Dr. Chetan Bettegowda
Clinical Implications of our Genomic Understanding of Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
2018
Dr. Lawrence Borges
Intradural Spinal Tumors — An MGH Perspective
Massachusetts General Hospital
2017
Dr. Claudio Tatsui
Current Management of Spinal Metastasis
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
2016
Dr. Viviane Tabar
Modeling Brain Tumors using Human ES Cell Progeny
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
2015
Dr. George Jallo
Spinal Cord Tumors: From Operating Room to the Laboratory
The Johns Hopkins Hospital

The lecture series has also featured Drs. Fred Epstein, Darell Bigner, Michael C. V. Jensen, Roy Patchell, J. Gregory Cairncross, Mark Bilsky, Antonino Raco, Paul McCormick, Kenneth Aldape, Peter Gerszten, Donald M. McDonald, and Laurence Rhines. The First Brian D. Silber Spine Oncology Symposium was held at MGH in April 2014.

Brian D. Silber AwardPresented with the AANS

Recognizing the best research on spinal column & spinal cord tumors

Brian's Fund supports the "Brian D. Silber Award," presented each year by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) at their annual meeting for the best abstract on spinal column or spinal cord tumor research.

2020
Sakibul Huq
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
"Epigenetic Modulation as a Novel Treatment Strategy for Chordoma"
2019
Rafael A. Vega, MD, PhD
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
"Spinal Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy: Outcomes and Lessons from the First 100 Cases"
2018
Anick Nater-Goulet, MD
University of Toronto
"Predictive Factors of Survival in Metastatic Epidural Spinal Cord Compression"
2016
Ganesh Shankar, MD, PhD
Massachusetts General Hospital
"BRAF Alteration Status and the Histone H3F3A Gene K27M Mutation Segregate Spinal Cord Astrocytoma Histology"

Your gift becomes the next breakthrough

Seed money from Brian's Fund has translated into over $100 million in research grants. Imagine what your gift can grow into.

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