( e brain caused abnormal growth--called ...)Possible birthplace of malignant brain tumors identified

e brain caused abnormal growth--called hyperplasia--of tumor-like nodules that invaded surrounding brain tissue. Their analysis indicated that the PDGF infusion caused the stem cells to halt their normal production of mature brain cells and launch into the abnormal proliferation pathway. Importantly, the researchers found that stopping the PDGF infusion caused a complete regression of the nodules.

The researchers wrote that "these findings are significant due to our limited knowledge of surface markers for neural stem cells. Our data also provide evidence of a link between these PDGFRá B cells and the early changes associated with tumor initiation, suggesting they may be targets of neoplastic transformation. The regression of atypical hyperplasia after PDGF removal described here suggests that inhibition of PDGF signaling could provide a useful therapy for those gliomas in which the pathway is upregulated, especially given the recovery of the normal architecture after regression of the hyperplasia."

In a preview of the paper in the same issue of Neuron, Santosh Kesari and Charles D. Stiles wrote that the new findings "lend weight" to the argument that the stem cells identified by Alvarez-Buylla and his colleagues are the cells or origin for malignant gliomas. They wrote that such work offers "therapeutic opportunities," emphasizing that "the people that matter the most do not have the luxury of time to watch this work unfold. The median interval from diagnosis to death for patients with malignant glioma is currently only 14 months."

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Source:Cell Press


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