8/10/2009
Two recent studies have revealed promising results in the fight against brain cancer.
Two recent studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in July 2009 have revealed promising results in the ongoing fight against brain cancer. Studies led by investigators at the Northwestern Brain Tumor Institute have demonstrated that networks of altered genes work together cooperatively to drive GBM development and progression.
These published results have potential significance in two major clinical ways. First, the development of new therapeutics will need to consider the powerful influence of the interactions between genes and their expression. Secondly, understanding how the interactions of genes affects survival may offer a prognostic tool that can guide current and future brain tumor therapies.
Much research in the past twenty years has focused on the identification of genetic alterations in cancers. Mutation, an alteration of DNA in individual cells, is a critical step in the development of most forms of cancer. Altered levels at which specific genes are expressed are also critical in cancer development. By gaining a greater understanding of these alterations, scientists may be able to develop more effective treatments.
