Genomic Analysis of Oligodendrogliomas Across the Pediatrics, Adolescents and Adults

Oligodendroglioma is a malignant brain cancer that develops from specialized nervous cells called oligodendrocytes. Oligodendroglioma is one of the more common types of glioma (which also includes glioblastoma multiforme and astrocytoma) that can affect people of all ages. Rarely, families with multiple affected members have been reported, suggesting that a predisposition for oligodendroglioma can be inherited from blood relatives. Because oligodendroglioma is so rare, it has not been well-studied, due in part to a lack of available biospecimens and data for research use. The goal of this project is to generate whole genome sequencing with paired RNA sequencing for a cohort of Oligodendroglioma across pediatric, adolescent and adult patients to map the key characteristics of these tumors. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) data identifies all of the genes in a genome and RNA sequencing analyzes the RNA found in a sample or gene expression. Both of these data types are integral to the continued study of this disease, and this project will create the largest open access cohort of oligodendroglioma data. The Children's Brain Tumor Network contributed to this project by providing DNA and RNA samples for sequencing, samples that are unavailable elsewhere.