Scientists at Johns Hopkins University have identified an RNA molecule previously thought to be “junk” that will help doctors diagnose and treat brain cancer in children. Research published in the journal Acta Neuropathological Communication.
Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in children. Scientists have identified a new molecule specific to SHH medulloblastomas, a group of tumors that account for about 30% of all medulloblastomas and are mostly seen in children under the age of 3.
The researchers used 175 medulloblastoma tissue samples from four different groups. They found that patients with SHH medulloblastoma had significantly increased circulating RNA levels.
This RNA does not code for proteins but is involved in the regulation of genes. For many years such molecules were called “junk” molecules. Scientists have found a link between circulating circ_63706 RNA and lipid recycling. This process is a key factor in the growth and spread of tumor cells.
Scientists have shown that when circ_63706 is turned off, fat processing is accelerated, leading to the death of cancer cells in mice with a medulloblastoma model.
This molecule could be a drug target as well as a biomarker for the detection of SHH medulloblastoma.
Source: Gazeta
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