Brain Tumor News and Research

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A Brain Tumor is the growth of abnormal cells in the tissues of the brain. Brain tumors can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer).

Glioblastoma multiforme can originate from cortical neurons

Scientists have long believed that glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most aggressive type of primary brain tumor, begins in glial cells that make up supportive tissue in the brain or in neural stem cells. In a paper published October 18 in Science Express, however, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have found that the tumors can originate from other types of differentiated cells in the nervous system, including cortical neurons.

23 Oct 2012

UMB, UMCP to develop small robot that could help neurosurgeons in removing brain tumors

A research team from the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) and the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) have been awarded a new $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue developing a small robot that could one day be a huge aid to neurosurgeons in removing difficult-to-reach brain tumors.

17 Oct 2012

UCI neuro-oncologist to lead DCVax Phase II trial in glioblastoma multiforme

UC Irvine doctors are enrolling patients with the deadly brain tumor glioblastoma multiforme in a clinical trial of a vaccine that may prevent the cancer's return or spread after surgery.

11 Oct 2012

Henry Ford Hospital opens new Center for Cancer Surgery

With more patients seeking cancer treatment – especially surgery – than ever before, Henry Ford Hospital has opened the new Center for Cancer Surgery.

27 Sep 2012

Flow cytometry isolates stem cells from brain tumors

A new video protocol in Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE) details an assay to identify brain tumor initiating stem cells from primary brain tumors. Through flow cytometry, scientists separate stem cells from the rest of the tumor, allowing quick and efficient analysis of target cells. This approach has been effectively used to identify similar stem cells in leukemia patients.

26 Sep 2012

NeuroTouch system provides 3-d graphics and tactile feedback during brain cancer surgery

A new virtual reality simulator-including sophisticated 3-D graphics and tactile feedback-provides neurosurgery trainees with valuable opportunities to practice essential skills and techniques for brain cancer surgery, according to a paper in the September issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

24 Sep 2012

New 3D endoscope at UMDNJ-The University Hospital can treat complex neurosurgical diseases

Ana Cores, a 54-year old Hackensack resident, worried about how a sudden loss of peripheral vision would impact the quality of her life. After undergoing MRIs, eye exams and many diagnostic tests, Cores opted to visit UMDNJ-The University Hospital where Dr. James K. Liu, a skull base neurosurgeon, and Dr. Jean Anderson Eloy, an otolaryngologist, used a new three- dimensional endoscope to remove a brain tumor through her nose that was pressing on her optic nerve and causing her to go blind.

20 Sep 2012

Bioengineers design nanoparticles that can safely and predictably infiltrate deep into the brain

The brain is a notoriously difficult organ to treat, but Johns Hopkins researchers report they are one step closer to having a drug-delivery system flexible enough to overcome some key challenges posed by brain cancer and perhaps other maladies affecting that organ.

12 Sep 2012

ImmunoCellular completes enrollment in ICT-107 Phase II trial for glioblastoma

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd. announced today that the company has completed enrollment for its Phase II randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, multi-center trial of its dendritic cell-based cancer vaccine ICT-107 for treatment of glioblastoma.

6 Sep 2012

Novartis receives FDA approval for Afinitor Disperz to treat subependymal giant cell astrocytoma

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Afinitor Disperz (everolimus tablets for oral suspension), a new pediatric dosage form of the anti-cancer drug Afinitor (everolimus) used to treat a rare brain tumor called subependymal giant cell astrocytoma.

30 Aug 2012

People with guanine version of rs55705857 SNP more likely to develop gliomas

People who carry a "G" instead of an "A" at a specific spot in their genetic code have roughly a six-fold higher risk of developing certain types of brain tumors, a Mayo Clinic and University of California, San Francisco study has found. The

27 Aug 2012

Pyruvate kinase M2 fuels tumor growth by influencing H3 histone protein

A metabolic protein that nourishes cancer cells also activates tumor-promoting genes by loosening part of the packaging that entwines DNA to make up chromosomes, a team led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reports in the Aug. 16 issue of Cell.

17 Aug 2012

Passenger deletions that deactivate essential genes provide new opportunity to strike cancer

Genomic deletions promote cancer by carving up or eliminating tumor-suppressor genes, but now scientists report in the journal Nature that the collateral damage they inflict on neighboring genes exposes cancer cells to vulnerabilities and new avenues for attack.

16 Aug 2012

Cedars-Sinai's ICT-107 doubles median survival of patients with malignant brain tumor

An experimental immune-based therapy more than doubled median survival of patients diagnosed with the most aggressive malignant brain tumor, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center researchers reported in Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy, published online Aug. 3.

16 Aug 2012

Allergies appear to lower brain tumor risk

Testing positive for immunoglobulin E, a biomarker of allergy, reduces a person’s risk for developing glioma, show study findings.

10 Aug 2012

Work solvent-related brain tumor concerns allayed

There is no consistent evidence for increased risk for glioma or meningioma following occupational exposure to chlorinated solvents, say researchers.

8 Aug 2012

Clinical trial targets breast cancer cells by injecting trastuzumab directly into the spinal fluid

In two to five percent of women with breast cancer, tumor cells migrate into the spinal fluid invading the tissue surrounding the brain and spinal cord called the meninges. While a rare complication, the condition is challenging because there is no agreed-upon standard of treatment, leaving little hope for patients affected. Northwestern Medicine- researchers are currently examining a novel approach to delivering an FDA approved drug that they hope will advance research for this type of cancer and lead to discoveries that may improve outcomes in the future.

7 Aug 2012

Allergies may reduce risk of brain cancer

New research adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that there's a link between allergies and reduced risk of a serious type of cancer that starts in the brain. This study suggests the reduced risk is stronger among women than men, although men with certain allergy profiles also have a lower tumor risk.

3 Aug 2012

New insight into why glioblastoma multiforme recurs in adults

A study by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers published online today in Nature reveals new insight into why the most common, deadly kind of brain tumor in adults recurs and identifies a potential target for future therapies.

2 Aug 2012

Fusion of FGFR and TACC gene leads to glioblastoma

Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) have discovered that some cases of glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive form of primary brain cancer, are caused by the fusion of two adjacent genes.

26 Jul 2012