Role of CRK and CRKL in high grade glioma cell migration

Our research goal is to block the diffuse invasion of brain tumors into neighboring healthy brain tissues, increasing the efficacy of standard care and reducing recurrence. The two proteins that we have studied for the last two decades play critical roles in tumor cell migration in adult brain tumor cells. We will remove the two proteins from pediatric brain tumor cells to determine their roles in pediatric brain tumor cell migration at the cellular level and in the mouse brain. The pediatric brain tumor cell lines available from CBTN are ideal for our study because they are well characterized. The results from this study will help us establish the two proteins as therapeutic targets for pediatric and adult brain tumors and lay the groundwork for developing cancer drugs to restrict tumor spreading in the brain.