Scientists trace recently found genes to the evolution of ...( BOSTON - Researchers at Dana-Farber Can...)

The findings, published in the April 5 issue of Cell, shed light on how the Olig 1 and Olig 2 genes direct the formation of a key type of supporting cell required by nerve cells to transmit their signals efficiently over long distances. (Cell selected the study for early publication and has already posted the paper on its Web site.) Called oligodendrocytes, these cells wrap a kind of biological insulation around nerve cells. By learning how oligodendrocytes normally develop, scientists say they may uncover clues to diseases ranging from multiple sclerosis to mental retardation to brain tumors. The earliest fruits of the work may include more accurate diagnosis of certain brain tumors, say the researchers.

We reason that some of the genes required to develop a normal, functioning brain may contribute to cancer of the brain if their expression is perturbed by mutation, says Charles Stiles, PhD, co-chair of the Cancer Biology Department at Dana-Farber and one of two senior authors on the paper. With the discovery of new cancer-causing genes comes the opportunity to develop smart drugs that can now be directed towards cells that express these mutant genes.

Stiles and David Rowitch, MD, of the Dana-Farber Department of Pediatric Oncology, directed the team of researchers that is studying the genetic basis of brain and central nervous system development to gain insights into brain cancer.

The brain and spinal cord are made up of three principal kinds of cells. Neurons, along which nerve impulses flash, are the most important but by far the least numerous. Much of the brain and spinal cord consists of glial cells, mainly oligodendrocytes and astrocytes, which support and nourish neurons. Its believed the brain has about 100 billion neurons and five to
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Contact: Bill Schaller
william_schaller@dfci.havard.edu
617-632-5357
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
1-Apr-2002