Brain Cancer Canada Awards The Dwayne Andrews Glioblastoma Research Grant to Tackle One of the Most Aggressive Brain Tumours and Unlock Immunotherapy Breakthroughs for Young Patients

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TORONTO, May 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brain Cancer Canada (BCC), the country’s only 100% volunteer-driven charity dedicated exclusively to funding brain cancer research nationwide, is proud to award $50,000 through the Dwayne Andrews Glioblastoma Research Grant to a timely and innovative project led by Dr. Kevin Wang and collaborators at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, Ontario.

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The project titled “Unlocking immunotherapy for IDH-mutant gliomas by mapping and reprogramming the tumour immune microenvironment” will expand our understanding of how the tumour microenvironment keeps a patient’s immune system away from growing cancer cells and will use that new knowledge to test ways we might reopen the door for immune-based therapies. 

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Many brain tumours in adolescents and young adults (AYA; ages 15–39) are driven by a change in a gene called IDH. Even when these tumours grow slowly at first, they often return and can become more aggressive over time. Immunotherapy has transformed treatment for many cancers, but it rarely works in brain tumours because these tumours create a “cold” immune environment that keeps helpful immune cells out and weakens their activity. This project aims to find and unlock new treatments that might offer hope to young people living with their diagnosis. 

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The research will build a detailed cell-by-cell understanding of changes in IDH-mutant gliomas then will explore treatments that might reverse changes that keep helpful immune cells out of the growing tumours. As the research progresses, the project might identify drugs that can be tested in clinical trials and could offer new treatment options like those now available for other types of cancer. 

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“Our translational research program focuses on gliomas, which comprise a group of aggressive brain tumours, with the goal of understanding how the tumour’s immune environment changes over time and why immunotherapy has not yet worked for most patients. Our goal is to unlock more effective and less toxic treatments for patients and families facing this devastating disease,” highlighted Dr. Wang on the funded research program.

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This research will create a high-resolution understanding of the tumour immune microenvironment and might uncover clues that could let immune-based therapies gain access to brain tumours where these therapies don’t work today. Brain Cancer Canada is committed to investing donation revenue to support foundational research like this project where a clear path to potential future clinical use can offer new hope for patients and families living with a brain cancer diagnosis. 

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This announcement represents one of six grants awarded during Brain Cancer Awareness Month (May), combined to invest $425,000 in promising Canadian Brain Cancer research. 

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Dr. Wang reflected, “Philanthropic funding is essential for moving promising ideas forward in brain cancer research, especially in areas where urgent clinical need far exceeds available support. I am deeply grateful to Brain Cancer Canada and to AutoOne Group for making this work possible and for helping accelerate research that can improve outcomes for patients.”

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This research grant was made possible through generosity of Auto|One Group. Over the past four years, Auto|One Group has donated over $300,000, making them our largest donor of record. Auto|One Group is more than a leader in the automotive industry; they are a true partner in hope. Their commitment to brain cancer research is deeply personal, shaped by the loss of Dwayne Andrews – brother and best friend of Kevin Andrews, CEO and President of Auto|One Group, to glioblastoma (GBM).