This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplementary Data Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sharma, M. K. Articles by Gutmann, D. H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sharma, M. K. Articles by Gutmann, D. H.

Distinct Genetic Signatures among Pilocytic Astrocytomas Relate to Their Brain Region Origin

Departments of ¹ Neurology, ² Radiation Oncology, ³ Pathology and Immunology, and ⁴ Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; ⁵ Department of Neuropathology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany; and ⁶ Department of Pathology, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas

Requests for reprints: David H. Gutmann, Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, Box 8111, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110. Phone: 314-362-7379; Fax: 314-362-2388; E-mail: gutmannd{at}wustl.edu.

Pilocytic astrocytomas (PAs) are the most common glioma in children. Whereas many PAs are slow-growing or clinically indolent, others exhibit more aggressive features with tumor recurrence and death. To identify genetic signatures that might predict PA clinical behavior, we did gene expression profiling on 41 primary PAs arising sporadically and in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Whereas no expression signature was found that could discriminate clinically aggressive or recurrent tumors from more indolent cases, PAs arising in patients with NF1 did exhibit a unique gene expression pattern. In addition, we identified a gene expression signature that stratified PAs by location (supratentorial versus infratentorial). Lastly, we also identified a gene expression pattern common to PAs and normal mouse astrocytes and neural stem cells from these distinct brain regions as well as a gene expression pattern shared between PAs and another human glial tumor (ependymoma) arising supratentorially compared with those originating in the posterior fossa. These results suggest that glial tumors share an intrinsic, lineage-specific molecular signature that reflects the brain region in which their nonmalignant predecessors originated. [Cancer Res 2007;67(3):890–900]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. J. Gilbertson and D. H. Gutmann Tumorigenesis in the Brain: Location, Location, Location Cancer Res., June 15, 2007; 67(12): 5579 - 5582. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]