Medulloblastomas are tumors of the cerebellum childlike
Medulloblastomas are tumors of the cerebellum childlike, at the still the majority of affected patients die because there is no causal therapy exists. Still, the mechanistic aspects of tumor formation is not well enough understood, that we shall attack points for a specific treatment of the tumors could be derived. Recent research findings have a number of regulator proteins identified, for the normal development of the cerebellum are essential and in medulloblastomas are highly fehlreguliert. The Working Group by the Munich Ulrich Schüller neuro pathologist is now examining the role of such regulators for the development of medulloblastomas. In this project, in particular, scientists want to find out the extent to which these regulators as targets for a causal tumor therapy are appropriate.
Medulloblastoma usually occur between the ages 3 to 15 years and come from so-called granular cell neurons from. These are nerve cells of the cerebellum, which during normal development of precisely defined stages of cell proliferation, migration and maturation through. The function of the regulator protein Barhl1 is primarily for reproduction and migration of cells important grains; still occur in a permanent loss of this protein ( “knockout”) significant disruption in these processes. During the subsequent maturation of granular cells and in the healthy adult cerebellum is Barhl1 not demonstrate in medulloblastomas, however, it is permanently active. “The physiological or therapeutic function of the off Barhl1 could be the growth of tumors to prevent or slow down,” the Munich scientists believe. To confirm this hypothesis is one of Schüller in the United States developed a mouse model used, where the animals due to a genetic defect within the Sonic Hedgehog signaling pathway in the medium already after about one months their tumors succumb. The introduction of a Barhl1 knockouts in this model is to bring information about the extent to which training of medulloblastomas from Barhl1 function depends. “Emergence of tumors no longer Barhl1-deficient animals or the tumors are less aggressive, this is an important or even essential role of Barhl1 during tumor growth, which may be therapeutically could attack,” said Schueller. Regardless of the project should also clarify whether it is in human medulloblastomas a correlation between the amount of protein Barhl1 and the clinical course of patients there. In the positive case could be the basis of such a biomarker not only the prognosis of individual patients but also to better assess the aggressiveness of the necessary chemotherapy customize. “Still too many dying children in medulloblastomas and lifelong consequences of the available radiation and chemotherapy are absolutely unacceptable,” says Schüller the need for new scientific approaches together.
The project manager directs the Center for Neuropathology at the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, the independent junior research group “Neuro-Oncology.” For further information please contact Dr. Ulrich Schüller (ulrich.schueller @ lmu.de, 089/2180-78114).
The Wilhelm Sander Foundation supports this research project with over 100,000 €.
Foundation Foundation is the purpose of medical research, particularly projects in the framework of the fight against cancer. Since the founding of the Foundation were a total of over 160 million euros for research in Germany and Switzerland approved. The foundation is from the estate of the same operator appears in 1973 died.
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