Theo was diagnosed with glioblastoma - an aggressive brain tumour - in March 2022. The location of the tumour meant that it was inoperable and there was very little that could be done. He died just five months later, at the age of 50.
A talented scientist, Theo had enjoyed a successful career working for a pharmaceutical and biotechnology company. He chaired a charity committee for many years, raising tens of thousands of pounds for both local and national charities.
As Theo was so passionate about scientific research, and a charity champion, his sister, Mary-Antonia, decided to make a difference to the lives of people living with neurological conditions by fundraising for Brain Research UK in his memory. For the last two years she has joined our London Marathon team, taking on the 26.2 mile challenge to raise funds in memory of her ‘super intelligent, funny, warm-hearted brother’, Theo. She has raised the incredible sum of £4,724.
‘Theo was absolutely an inspiration to me and always will be.’
Glioblastoma is an aggressive, invasive brain tumour. It grows and spreads quickly and infiltrates the brain. Despite many years of research, the treatments developed in the laboratory have failed to improve patient outcomes and glioblastoma remains incurable.
The current treatment strategy includes surgery to ‘debulk’ the tumour, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy to destroy remaining tumour. This prolongs survival but is not curative - the tumour always grows back. Only a quarter of patients survive more than a year from diagnosis, and just 5% survive five years.
We have made brain tumours a research priority in order to improve the outlook for those affected.
Since 2017, thanks to our incredible supporters, we have invested £3.7 million in vital research that is helping us to understand brain tumours, how they develop, and how we can better diagnose and treat them.
A recently-funded project led by Dr Natividad Gomez-Roman at the University of Strathclyde is exploring a new treatment approach targeting cholesterol in glioblastoma cells. By combining this approach with standard care, the hope is that patient survival will be improved. In this field where treatment options have remained static for two decades, this work is critically important.
