In Silico Neo-antigen Detection in High-grade Pediatric Brain Tumors Utilizing RNA-seq and WGS

Immunotherapy, therapy that uses a patient’s own immune system to attack a tumor, is a promising form of therapy for high grade tumors such as high grade glioma, diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (ATRT), and medulloblastoma. In these cases, there does not seem to be genetic targets for therapy, but rather the tumor growth is driven by epigenetic factors, or non-gene influences. The first step in identifying possible immunotherapy targets is identifying tumor neoantigens, or substances created by the tumor cells that affect cell processes. Researchers will use the Pediatric Brain Tumor Atlas to produce initial data for this study that could lead to the development of new patient-specific immunotherapies.