Molecular and Spatial Insights into Treatment Failure in Pediatric Low-Grade Gliomas

Treatment failure is common and a major cause of tumor recurrence, life-long morbidity and increased mortality in children and adolescents with pediatric low-grade glioma (pLGG). Even though most patients with unresectable pLGG fail one or multiple therapies, the genetic and spatial evolution of pediatric LGGs through time and after treatment remains poorly understood. The scarcity of tissue samples has been a major limitation, which can now be overcome leveraging CBTN’s large resource of pLGG samples. In this study we use multi-omic profiling to characterizes matched primary (therapy-naïve) and recurrent (post chemotherapy or radiotherapy) pLGGs. We seek to uncover cellular events that promote and sustain tumor recurrence. By identifying causes of treatment failure, we will contribute to the development of better strategies to prevent disease progression and improve outcome for children with LGGs.