Researchers define mechanism that enables stem cells to track migrating brain t...( LOS ANGELES (May 4 2004) Because they...),Health

Now researchers at Cedars-Sinai's Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute, using mouse and human cells, have defined a subset of neural stem cells that have this tumor-tracking potential. They also have identified a biochemical mechanism that appears to govern the homing behavior. Their results appear in the May/June issue of the journal Neoplasia.

The prognosis for patients with malignant brain tumors called gliomas is extremely poor. Those with glioblastoma multiforme, the most aggressive of the gliomas, usually have a life expectancy of only months from the time of diagnosis. Survival for two years is extremely rare, even with aggressive treatment. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy have only minimal impact, and because gliomas have poorly defined borders, with glioma cells intermingling with healthy brain tissue, complete surgical removal is nearly impossible. Furthermore, cancer cells migrate away from the main tumor to form satellites that often escape treatment and lead to recurrence.

"We have previously demonstrated the uncanny ability of neural stem cells to seek out and destroy satellites of tumor cells in the brain. Now we know at least one component of tumor cells that is attracting neural stem cells toward them. With this knowledge, we hope to expedite the translation of this powerful and novel strategy for the clinical benefit of patients with brain tumors," said John S. Yu, senior author of the study and co-director of the Comprehensive Brain Tumor Program at Cedars-Sinai.

"Given the very poor prognosis associated with high-grade gliomas, there is an urgent need to develop novel therapies that can be translated into clinical pra
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Contact: Sandra Van
sandy@vancommunications.com
1-800-880-2397
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
4-May-2004