Gene Defect Explanation for Brain Tumor

The article explains the research done by Professor Dr. Peter Lichter of the German Cancer Research Center and his team. Pilocytic astrocytoma, the most common brain tumor in children, is usually slow-growing and benign. Lichter has found that in most cases of pilocytic astrocytoma there is a defect in the BRAF gene. The team packed the defected gene with a virus and placed it into cells of mice. 91% of animals treated resulted in a pilocytic astrocytoma tumor. The defective BRAf gene constantly transmits growth signals into cancer cells. Now that we know the BRAF gene is a main component of pilocytic astrocytoma,  new tests can be done with kinase inhibitors and other drugs to slow cancer cell growth.

[caption id="attachment_1150" align="alignnone" width="308" caption="Tissue section of a mouse brain with a pilocytic astrocytoma. The brown staining indicates astrocytes."][/caption]