Frankly Speaking About Cancer: Brain Tumors

A big thanks to our partner Cancer Support Community for creating this amazing new resource: Frankly Speaking about Cancer: Brain Tumors.

This 96 page book is full of helpful information and resources for brain tumor patients and their caregivers – download your copy today.

Research Spotlight: Dr. David Louis

Dr. David Louis, Pathologist-in-Chief at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Benjamin Castleman Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School, is an internationally recognized expert in brain tumor pathology and molecular genetics. In addition to his prestigious work, Dr. Louis was recently named one of the two (initial) grant recipients for the National Brain Tumor Society Oligodendroglioma Research Fund, and will be named as the 2013 Feldman Founders award recipient at our upcoming Annual Meeting.

In anticipation of accepting this award, Dr. Louis graciously agreed to answer a few questions about his contributions to the field of brain tumor research:

Can you discuss how your earlier findings in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) have informed your current work in oligodendrogliomas?

I have worked with Drs. Mario Suva and Brad Bernstein to study GBM at the “epigenetic” level (i.e., the level at which genes are controlled). Through these studies, Dr. Suva has clarified a set of control factors (transcription factors) that seem to be responsible for making a GBM stem cell have its particularly aggressive features. We are now using epigenetics to study oligodendrogliomas.

What is your hope for your current oligodendroglioma work. How do you see it moving the field forward toward better solutions for patients?

The eventual behavior of tumor cells relates to how their proteins act. Protein activity is increased when genes are activated. Epigenetics is a field that studies how genes are activated and inactivated. Therefore, the study of the epigenetic landscape of oligodendrogliomas will give us knowledge about what changes control the molecules which make cells cancerous. From a treatment point of view, it is exciting that epigenetic changes may be more straightforward to manipulate for therapeutic ends than are genetic mutations.

The eventual behavior of tumor cells relates to how their proteins act. Protein activity is increased when genes are activated. Epigenetics is a field that studies how genes are activated and inactivated. Therefore, the study of the epigenetic landscape of oligodendrogliomas will give us knowledge about what changes control the molecules which make cells cancerous. From a treatment point of view, it is exciting that epigenetic changes may be more straightforward to manipulate for therapeutic ends than are genetic mutations.

Read the full Q&A with Dr. Louis here.

Watch our State of Research Breakfast Live

The State of Research Breakfast at our 2013 Summit will be available by live webcast on Friday, October 4 at 8:30 AM EST.

Hear from National Brain Tumor Society leadership and experts in the field on the current state of brain tumor research and how we are using this knowledge to drive transformational change. Learn more

Thank you for all your great responses and support during Childhood Cancer Awareness month!

Community Events Update

Race for the Brain
Columbus, OH - 10/6
Join this fun 5K run and walk at the Hoover Reservoir. Sign up now.

Find an upcoming event or email communityevents@braintumor.org to start your own community event. Get involved today!