PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Stopping tumors in their path

New study sheds light on most common and deadly form of brain cancer

2014-01-08
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Anita Kar
anita.kar@mcgill.ca
514-398-3376
McGill University
Stopping tumors in their path New study sheds light on most common and deadly form of brain cancer Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and deadly form of primary malignant brain cancer accounting for approximately 15% of all brain tumours and occurring mostly in adults between the ages of 45 and 70. The aggressive recurrent nature of this cancer is only temporarily contained by combined surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment. The recurrence of GBM is usually fatal, resulting in an average patient survival time of less than two years. A new study from the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital – The Neuro - at McGill University, published in Nature Communications, identifies two specific key players in the growth of GBM.

A GBM tumour contains a complex combination of different cell types, including 'stem-like' cells that are able to initiate brain tumour growth, even when present in very small numbers. These cells, known as brain-tumour initiating cells (BTICs), are believed to be among the cells that can re-initiate GBM if they are not completely eradicated through surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Thus, BTICs represent an important therapeutic target for GBM treatment strategies.

"We wanted to find out how GBM-derived BTICs are able to initiate a tumour with the ultimate goal of preventing the re-growth of this deadly form of brain cancer," says Dr. Stefano Stifani, neuroscientist at The Neuro and senior investigator on the paper. "What we found is that by impairing the activity of two transcription factors (proteins that control gene expression), termed FOXG1 and TLE, we can significantly reduce the ability of BTICs to give rise to brain tumours." The researchers studied brain tumour growth in an in vivo mouse model using human GBM-derived BTICs. This approach provides what is called an in vivo environment that closely resembles the original human brain tumours. The demonstration that the FOXG1 and TLE proteins are important for the tumour-forming ability of human GBM-derived BTICs has long-term implications because FOXG1 and TLE control the expression of numerous genes. Identifying the genes whose expression is controlled by FOXG1 and TLE is expected to provide further information on the mechanisms involved in GBM tumourigenesis. In the long term, researchers hope to identify multiple important regulators, in order to find new potential therapeutic targets to impair the tumourigenic ability of BTICs.

"The implication of transcription factors FOXG1 and TLE in the tumour-forming ability of BTICs opens the door to possible strategies to block tumour growth – a major advance in the fight against GBM."

The Neuro's Brain Tumour Program sees 3500 patients annually, and performs on average 450 tumour procedures per year. These procedures include surgeries for brain cancers such as GBM and other gliomas, as well as meningiomas, vestibular schwannomas, pituitary adenomas, metastases, among others.

This research, which was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Cancer Research Society, highlights the benefits of The Neuro's integrated model – where clinicians collaborate closely with researchers, to significantly advance neuroscience and clinical care for patients with neurological disease.

### The Neuro The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital — The Neuro, is a unique academic medical centre dedicated to neuroscience. Founded in 1934 by the renowned Dr. Wilder Penfield, The Neuro is recognized internationally for integrating research, compassionate patient care and advanced training, all key to advances in science and medicine. The Neuro is a research and teaching institute of McGill University and forms the basis for the Neuroscience Mission of the McGill University Health Centre. Neuro researchers are world leaders in cellular and molecular neuroscience, brain imaging, cognitive neuroscience and the study and treatment of epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and neuromuscular disorders. For more information, visit theneuro.com.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Study shows women continue to outlive men as numbers of centenarians on the rise

2014-01-08
Study shows women continue to outlive men as numbers of centenarians on the rise TORONTO, January 8, 2014 – The number of centenarians in Ontario increased by more than 70 per cent over the last 15 years with women making up more than 85 per cent ...

Researchers at Case Comprehensive Cancer Center discover ovarian cancer biomarker

2014-01-08
Researchers at Case Comprehensive Cancer Center discover ovarian cancer biomarker MicroRNA predicts treatment response Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have identified a microRNA biomarker that shows promise in predicting treatment ...

Negative feedback makes cells 'sensitive'

2014-01-08
Negative feedback makes cells 'sensitive' New research has shown that negative feedback loops in cell signalling systems can be essential for a cell's ability to perceive the strength of a growth stimulus. Cells lacking the feedback loop became insensitive ...

Heart attacks hit poor the hardest

2014-01-08
Heart attacks hit poor the hardest Tel Aviv University researchers show that socioeconomic status is predictor of higher risk of disease and death after an attack As people get older, their bodies wear down and become less resilient. In old age, it's ...

The ironic (and surprising) effects of weight stigma

2014-01-08
The ironic (and surprising) effects of weight stigma UCSB psychology professor finds that messages designed to encourage weight loss may actually have the opposite effect (Santa Barbara, Calif.) — If you're one of the millions of people who ...

Penn biologists establish new method for studying RNA's regulatory 'footprint'

2014-01-08
Penn biologists establish new method for studying RNA's regulatory 'footprint' Increasingly, biologists have come to realize that RNA is not merely a transitional state between DNA and proteins but plays a major role in determining whether and how genes ...

Scripps Florida scientists identify possible key to drug resistance in Crohn's disease

2014-01-08
Scripps Florida scientists identify possible key to drug resistance in Crohn's disease JUPITER, FL, January 7, 2014 – Two-thirds to three-quarters of the estimated 700,000 Americans living with Crohn's disease, an autoimmune condition that can disrupt the entire ...

Massive exoplanets may be more Earth-like than thought

2014-01-08
Massive exoplanets may be more Earth-like than thought 'Super-Earths' likely to have both oceans and continents Massive terrestrial planets, called "super-Earths," are known to be common in our galaxy, the Milky Way. Now a Northwestern University astrophysicist ...

Many small exoplanets found to be covered in gas

2014-01-08
Many small exoplanets found to be covered in gas New measurements of mass expand knowledge of exoplanets' compositions During its four-year mission, NASA's Kepler space telescope discovered thousands of "planetary candidates" in our Milky Way galaxy -- the vast ...

Sugar-sweetened beverage tax could reduce obesity and type 2 diabetes in India

2014-01-08
Sugar-sweetened beverage tax could reduce obesity and type 2 diabetes in India A sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax could help mitigate the rise in obesity and type 2 diabetes rates in India among both urban and rural populations, according to a study published this week ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Study identifies gene clusters in rhizobia linked to robust legume growth

Remapping the evolutionary tree of butterflies

Employees who spot problems help the bottom line, so why do leaders give more power to bootlickers?

Could living near water mean you’ll live longer?

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome linked to worse surgical outcomes, higher costs

US POINTER trial: Structured lifestyle intervention delays cognitive decline

Detecting a potential behavioral biomarker for Parkinson’s disease in mice

Expectations about pain influence the experience in different ways

Landmark sleep study links objective sleep patterns with 172 diseases—regularity matters more than duration

Breaking research at ADLM 2025: AI poised to revolutionize Lyme disease testing, treatment

CD4+ T cell-mediated immune drift in biologic treatment of inflammatory skin diseases

Spotlight on technology to protect older Australians from respiratory infections

There’s something in the air

New insights could help phages defeat antibiotic resistant bacteria

New system dramatically speeds the search for polymer materials

Safety of JN.1-updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccines

Type 2 diabetes and financial outcomes

A financial toll on patients with type 2 diabetes

Safflower yellow pigments in coronary heart disease: Mechanisms, applications, and future perspectives

TraMA: new RNA-based measure predicts mortality risk and tracks aging

From WebMD to AI chatbots: How innovation has empowered patients to take control of their health

Unravelling antileishmanial mechanisms of phytochemicals: From mitochondrial disruption to immunomodulation

Association for Molecular Pathology announces 2025 award recipients

When light collides with light

Study finds that white students visit college advisers the least, but benefit most in terms of graduation rates and GPA

Science by the millions: How everyday people are revolutionizing global biodiversity research with tech

A bolt is born! Atmospheric events underpinning lightning strikes explained

Using alcohol to reduce the costs of industrial water electrolysis

FAU researchers advise: prescribe high potency statins in treatment, prevention

15 regions chosen for groundbreaking effort to reduce cardiovascular disease

[Press-News.org] Stopping tumors in their path
New study sheds light on most common and deadly form of brain cancer