July 13, 2017
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an extremely aggressive and highly malignant brain cancer due to the fast reproduction of cells and the vast differences among the cells within a tumor. A team of researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital—including ABTA Scientific Advisory Council member, E. Antonio Chiocca and ABTA Scholar In Training Award winner Arun Kumar Rooj, PhD—have recently published a study that examines microRNA to distinguish between subtypes of GBM. For this study, the team identified a specific microRNA called miR-128. Although mir-128 is normally found in the brain, its levels change in tumors. They also found that altering the level of miR-128 in more aggressive subtypes of GBM can make the cells throughout the tumor more similar, making it easier to treat.