J Neuropathol Exp Neurol
August 2006
Pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) is the most common glioma of childhood. Despite their relatively high incidence, the molecular mechanisms responsible for tumorigenesis and growth of PA are poorly understood. Previous in vitro studies in our laboratory showed that despite the absence of ErbB1, PA was sensitive to ErbB1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor gefitinib.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEpendymomas account for 6-12% of all pediatric intracranial tumors. Despite complete resection and radiation, about 50% of patients relapse and have subsequent dismal prognoses. As no clinical findings reliably forecast tumor recurrence, we sought to determine if gene expression profiling could be used to distinguish patients at high risk for relapse at initial diagnosis, and thereby make them candidates for innovative treatments at an early stage.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPediatr Blood Cancer
September 2006
Background: Juvenile pilocytic astrocytomas (JPAs) are the most common central nervous system tumors in children. If completely resected, JPAs are associated with an excellent outcome. However, there is need for additional therapeutic approaches for those JPAs which are incompletely resected and fail subsequent standard chemotherapy/radiation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBlocking Rac1 function in precursors of the indirect flight muscle of Drosophila severely disrupts muscle formation. The DLM fibers that develop using larval scaffolds are reduced in number and fiber size, while the DVMs, which develop using founder cells, are mostly absent. These adult muscle phenotypes are in part due to a reduced myoblast pool present at the third larval instar.
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