Germline and Somatic Determinants of Paediatric Brain Tumor Evolution

Pediatric brain tumors such as high grade gliomas (HGG) and diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGS) are still poorly understood. Researchers on this project are investigating whether pediatric HGGs and DIPGS display intratumoral genetic heterogeneity (an array of distinct tumor cells within a tumor type). Understanding the heterogeneity of a tumor is important to provide proper treatment. Researchers also hope to elucidate the relationship between genetic events and how they affect the origin and progression of HGGs and DIPGs. Some of the yet to be identified genetic combinations may alter responses to drugs, and researchers seek to further study ways to utilize such findings in the advancement of cancer therapies. Current findings from this research group are interesting, but their studies are severely underpowered without additional samples, making rare tissue and germline specimens provided by The Children’s Brain Tumor Network especially important to this project.