3D genome mapping may lead to the treatment of deadliest paediatric brain tumours
Researchers led by Sanford Burnham Prebys assistant professor Lukas Chavez, Ph.D., are leveraging the latest technology to take a never-before-seen look at ependymoma, one of the deadliest paediatric brain tumours. By visualising how the genome is organised and arranged within tumour cells, they were able to reveal genes in tumours that may be future targets for therapy.
Novel immunotherapy appears to be safe, well tolerated by children with relapsed brain tumours
The first in-human-study of a new immunotherapy that blocks a natural enzyme tumors commandeer for their protection was well tolerated by children with relapsed brain tumours and enabled many to have unexpected months of a more normal life, researchers say.
Neighbourhood support may help protect paediatric brain tumour patients from cognitive decline
To gain a clearer understanding of the differences between childhood cancer patients with brain tumours when it comes to the impact of radiation therapy on cognition, scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital studied the effect of their environment. Their work showed that children with supportive environments fared better than children living in neighbourhoods with economic hardship. Those in areas with greater economic hardship had worse baseline and long-term cognitive outcomes. The results imply that policies and resources providing support at a neighbourhood level may help protect high-risk paediatric brain tumour patients from cognitive decline. The findings were published recently in Neuro-Oncology.