The Hospital for Sick Children,
Toronto, Canada

Genetics of Pediatric Brain Stem Gliomas

Background:
As part of a group dedicated to the study of brain cancer, our lab is using new techniques to understand the genetic changes underlying tendency toward, and the development of, childhood brain stem cancer with the goal of developing new treatment strategies for this uniformly fatal disease.
Sadly, despite various treatment strategies, including different radiation techniques and chemotherapeutic approaches, no improvements in the survival of children with brain stem cancer have been achieved over the last three decades. No detailed study of the genetics of childhood brain stem cancer have thus far been undertaken. In our lab we have begun these studies and have found interesting genetic differences in these children that may predispose them to the disease and which may lead to the development of their cancer.

Project description:
In this study, we are using state-of-the-art, high-resolution, genetic techniques to look at these children's DNA for clues to the cause of their cancer. We are using the same techniques to look at their tumor DNA to identify what is driving their tumors. We are then testing the effect of these genes on both normal cells and cancer cells to see what can stop the cancer cells from growing and invading.

Impact on Pediatric Brain Stem Glioma:
We expect that the detailed genetic analysis of these tumors will provide the first insight into the biology of childhood brain stem cancer and allow the development of more targeted therapies for this devastating disease. Further, by investigating the mechanism underlying the development of cancer in these patients we may uncover a general mechanism of cancer predisposition and/or development.

Tumour Tissue:
Surgical removal of these devastating brainstem tumors is impossible. Even a biopsy – taking out a little tumor piece – bears the high risk of serious neurological deterioration of the child without any benefit regarding better treatment decisions. Moreover biopsies often remain inconclusive and may not be representative of the whole tumor. Therefore most institutions – including SickKids – do not perform biopsies in children with typical diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma.

Needed:
The ability to advance insight into the biology of brain stem cancer in children will rely on the willingness of parents and patients to donate brain tumor tissue after the child’s passing.

Please ask us how you can donate to this study.

Dr. Cynthia Hawkins, MD, PhD, FRCPC                                         
Neuropathologist, Dept of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine      
Associate Professor, University of Toronto                                  
Scientist, The Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre                   
The Hospital for Sick Children                                                          
555 University Avenue                                                                      
Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8                                                                      
phone: 416-813-5938                                                                           
fax: 416-813-5974                                                                 
cynthia.hawkins@sickkids.ca                                                           

Dr. Ute Bartels, MD,
Neuro-Oncologist
Dept of Haem/Oncology
Assistant Professor, University of Toronto
The Hospital for Sick Children
555 University Avenue
Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8
phone: 416-813-5249
fax: 416-813-8024
ute.bartels@sickkids.ca

Last update Feb. 14, 2009