[Health India]: Toronto, Jan 9 : New treatment for brain cancer may be possible thanks to some pioneering research done by Indo-Canadian neurosurgeon Sheila Singh here.

Her paper on identification of cancer stem cells in human brain tumours won Singh, a doctor at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, the Young Innovator of the Year award from the Canadian Brain Cancer Consortium, according to the South Asian Observer.

"Neurosurgery is all about activism, about doing everything you can to save someone," says Singh.

Brain tumours are the leading cause of cancer mortality in children. Adult brain tumours are also among the more sinister of cancers.

The cells that lie at the root of human brain tumours have been isolated. This opens the door to treatments that stifle cancer at its source, reveals the research published in the leading scientific journal "Nature".

Childhood and adult brain tumours originate from cancer stem cells and these stem cells fuel tumour growth.

Singh says: "I would take the tumours from the hospital and race across the road to the laboratory. We found we could grow these beautiful spheres from cells that proved to have all the characteristics of a stem cell."

The research paves the way for a personalised cure regimen for patients as the stem cells generate an exact replica of the tumour in mice.

"It is a very exciting beginning. Even five years ago, I do not think anyone would have believed this is the cause of brain tumours," the doctor said.

Raised in Dundas, Canada, Singh was born into a medical family with a psychiatrist and a nurse for parents. She lives in Toronto with her architect husband and two young sons.

Singh, 32, attributes her professional success to family support.

"It all comes back to my family," she said. "I would never have the energy or motivation to do this without them. They are so proud of me."