A little about Project VALKYRIE's rational

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, [DIPG][dipg-poster], is a tumor almost exclusively found in children and adolescents. It is largely responsible for most of the deaths related to brain tumors in this age group. Nearly 20% of all brain tumors in patients under 18 years are DIPG. This makes it one of the most common malignant brain tumors in young people. The average age of patients is 7 years, there is no difference between sexes or races. It is rare to a patient to have a history of more than 6 months of symptons before diagnosis. Initial signs are facial paralysis, deviation of the eyes, neck pain (torticollis). In a matter of weeks, the intensity and number of symptoms progress and the patient begins to have difficulty swallowing and speaking, as well as gait impairment and paralysis.(excerpt)