National Institutes of Health Announces Identification of Subtypes of Glioblastoma Multiforme

February 7, 2010

In a January 19, 2010, press release, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced the publication of a study by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network identifying four distinct molecular subtypes of glioblasoma multiforme (GBM). These findings were heralded as pointing the way toward more personalized approaches to treatment of GBM patients. The research team for TCGA is a collaborative effort funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI).

The NIH release stated, “Although the findings do not affect current clinical practice, the researchers said the results may lead to more personalized approaches to treating groups of GBM patients based on their genomic alterations. The study, published Jan. 19, 2010 in Cancer Cell, provides a solid framework for investigation of targeted therapies that may improve the nearly uniformly fatal prognosis of this cancer.”

NIH Director Francis Collins, M.D., PhD., is quoted in the press release: “TCGA is mobilizing the entire cancer community to find new strategies in detecting and treating cancer faster. These findings are just a hint of what we expect to result from the comprehensive data generated by TCGA over the next few years.”

The Cancer Cell article is available at http://www.cell.com/cancer-cell/abstract/S1535-6108(09)00432-2?script=true.

The NIH News Release is available at http://www.nih.gov/news/health/jan2010/nci-19.htm and is attached. NIH News Cancer Genome Atlas Identifies Subtypes of Brain Cancer

Posted in Brain Tumor Research, General News