Medulloblastomas are the most common form of pediatric brain
tumors, which are separated into 4 groups with the third group having the worst
outcomes. The third group is characterized by an overexpression of the Myc gene.
Myc plays a major role in stem cell regulation. Recent studies have shown
targeting the bromodomain protein BRD4, a key mediator of Myc expression, could
lead to better treatment and outcomes. This study treated medulloblastoma with
JQ1, which inhibits BRD4, in vivo and
in vitro. This treatment suppresses
tumor growth, stem cell signaling, leads to cell cycle arrest, and prevents
transcription. This data suggests that the bromodomain is a good target for
inhibition for Myc overexpression medulloblastoma patients, and could lead to
much better outcomes for those with this specific tumor.
Article: http://dml.regis.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cmedm&AN=24796395&site=ehost-live&scope=site
It is quite unfortunate that medulloblastomas are so common in pediatric cancer, but after doing some research online, it is promising to see that there is a decent amount of research focused on finding treatments for these tumors, including Myc-overexpressed medulloblastoma. I came across an article that focused on the role of microRNAs in the development of cancers, especially medulloblastoma. MiRNAs are important in regulating protein expression, so exploring mutations in certain miRNAs is important for finding the causes of these cancers. There were several miRNAs that had significantly different expressions in normal patients and medulloblastoma patients. If we can establish a link between miRNA expression and medulloblastoma, it may provide a foundation for finding better treatments in addition to the protein inhibitors already being used.
ReplyDeletehttp://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13277-012-0579-9