Monday, February 28, 2011

Discoveries offer first new hope in three decades for lethal pediatric brain tumor

Source: Stanford University Medical Center
Date: February 28, 2011

Summary:

A pediatric brain tumor that causes gruesome suffering is finally yielding its secrets. For the first time, scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have cultured human cells from this cancer, Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, and used those cells to create an animal model of the disease. Their discoveries will facilitate research on new treatments for DIPG, a tumor of school-aged children that is now almost universally fatal. The study is published online Feb. 28 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.