BOSTON-HEIDELBERG | A TRANSATLANTIC INITIATIVE FOR CHILDREN WITH PLGG
Every Child Deserves a Future Beyond Cancer
We connect families, clinicians, and researchers to improve care today and accelerate safer, more effective treatments for pediatric low-grade gliomas.
WHY RICHI PLGG CURE
Progress for the whole child
Pediatric low-grade gliomas are tumors in the brain or spinal cord of children, often slow-growing, but their impact may last a lifetime. Tumor location, repeated treatment, and effects on a developing brain can influence vision, movement, hormones, learning, and daily life.
Richi pLGG Cure helps families understand this complex disease, find meaningful support, and join a global effort to advance research.
01
Educate
Make trusted information about pLGG biology, care, and emerging science easier to understand.
02
Support
Connect families with expert programs, practical resources, and a community that understands.
03
Advance
Fuel collaborative research designed to produce more precise and less toxic treatments.
UNDERSTANDING THE DIAGNOSIS
Low-grade does not mean low impact
WHERE
Tumor location
Location can affect symptoms, whether surgery is safe, and which functions need protection.
WHO
The individual
Age, development, prior care, and the child’s goals all shape treatment decisions.
WHEN
Growth and symptoms
Some tumors remain stable. Others grow, return, or cause symptoms that make treatment necessary
WHEN
Tumor biology
Molecular testing can help define a tumor and may inform targeted treatment.
CARE IS INDIVIDUALIZED
How pLGG may be treated
Care may involve observation, surgery, medicine, radiation, or a clinical trial. The right approach depends on the child and tumor and should always be discussed with an experienced clinical team.
Regular imaging and clinical assessments may be recommended when a tumor is stable and not causing concerning symptoms. Observation is an active care strategy.
01
Observation
Surgery may obtain tissue for diagnosis and remove as much tumor as can be safely removed. Complete removal is not always possible when critical brain structures are nearby.
02
Surgery
Chemotherapy may control tumor growth when surgery is not appropriate or does not remove enough of the tumor, and can help delay or avoid radiation in some children.
03
Chemotherapy
Targeted medicines interfere with particular signals that tumor cells use to grow. Whether one is appropriate depends on molecular findings and the child’s clinical circumstances.
04
Targeted therapy
Radiation can control tumor growth, but clinicians carefully weigh potential benefits against long-term effects on a developing brain.
05
Radiation therapy
Clinical trials
06
Clinical trials study new treatments and combinations. Participation is a personal decision made with the child’s medical team.
This website provides general educational information and does not replace advice from your child’s healthcare team.
THE SCIENCE OF A BETTER FUTURE FUTURE
Understanding what drives each tumor
One of the most important advances in pLGG research has been discovering that many tumors are driven by specific genetic or molecular alterations
These changes can behave like a stuck gas pedal inside a tumor cell—continuously sending signals that encourage it to grow and survive. Many pLGGs involve alterations in the MAPK signaling pathway, which normally helps regulate cell growth.
By identifying the alteration driving an individual tumor, researchers and medical teams may be able to consider treatments designed to interrupt that specific signal.
A TRANSATLANTIC MISSION
Collaboration without borders
Richi pLGG Cure brings together complementary research and clinical expertise in the United States and Europe. By connecting ideas, data, resources, and families across institutions, we aim to help promising discoveries move further and faster.
FOR FAMILIES
You should not have to navigate pLGG alone
Start with trusted information, connect with an experienced care team, and find support for life beyond appointments and treatment.
CARE AND RESEARCH IN THE US
CARE AND RESEARCH IN EUROPE
COMMUNITY AND WELLBEING
RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
Search clinical trials →
HELP WRITE WHAT COMES NEXT
Your support can change what is possible
Your support can help bring life-saving cancer treatments to children, as well as critical support to families affected by the most common type of pediatric cancer.