Identifying Tumor Cell Vulnerabilities in Recurrent/Progressive Human Medulloblastomas by Single-cell RNA-seq

Medulloblastoma, the most common form of pediatric brain cancer, is the focus of this project, particularly those cases where the tumor recurs. The knowledge of the pathways and genes that can drive tumors to either progress/recur or be sensitive to treatment can be key for effective cancer treatment. To do this, researchers need to understand the variety within the cancer cells and the cell clones that survive treatment and/or metastasize. Additionally, the knowledge of the interactions between the tumor cells and its microenvironment (the conditions around a cell) is often critical to uncovering the mechanisms of tumor survival. Researchers propose to analyze 17 flash frozen tissue samples and 4 tissue in freezing media samples provided by the Children’s Brain Tumor Network to define cells and genes critical for Medulloblastoma recurrence/progression. Single cell technologies have the potential to substantially propel discovery in the understanding of medulloblastoma cancer biology. Researchers hypothesize that characterization of the cellular and genetic landscape of recurrent/progressive medulloblastomas will reveal important relationships that could lead to the advancement of therapeutic strategies.