Publisher Correction: DNA demethylation is associated with malignant progression of lower-grade gliomas.

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DNA demethylation is associated with malignant progression of lower-grade gliomas.

To elucidate the mechanisms of malignant progression of lower-grade glioma, molecular profiling using methylation array, whole-exome sequencing, and RNA sequencing was performed for 122, 36 and 31 gliomas, respectively. This cohort included 24 matched pairs of initial lower-grade gliomas and recurrent tumors, most of which showed malignant progression. Nearly half of IDH-mutant glioblastomas that had progressed from lower-grade gliomas exhibited characteristic partial DNA demethylation in previously methylated genomic regions of their corresponding initial tumors, which had the glioma CpG island methylator phenotype (G-CIMP).

Brachyury gene copy number gain and activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway: association with upregulation of oncogenic Brachyury expression in skull base chordoma.

OBJECTIVE Chordoma is a slow-growing but clinically malignant tumor, and the prognosis remains poor in many cases. There is a strong impetus to develop more effective targeted molecular therapies. On this basis, the authors investigated the potential of Brachyury, a transcription factor involved in notochord development, as a candidate molecular target for the treatment of chordoma.

Differences in genetic and epigenetic alterations between von Hippel-Lindau disease-related and sporadic hemangioblastomas of the central nervous system.

Background: Although inactivation of the von Hippel-Lindau gene (VHL), located on chromosome 3p25, is considered to be a major cause of hemangioblastomas (HBs), the incidence of biallelic inactivation of VHL is reportedly low. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of VHL alterations in HBs, as well as to identify additional molecular aberrations.

Methods: Genetic and epigenetic alterations were comprehensively and comparatively analyzed in 11 VHL-related and 21 sporadic HBs.

Genetic and epigenetic stability of oligodendrogliomas at recurrence.

Among diffuse gliomas, oligodendrogliomas show relatively better prognosis, respond well to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and seldom progress to very aggressive tumors. To elucidate the genetic and epigenetic background for such behavior and tumor evolution during tumor relapse, we comparatively analyzed 12 pairs of primary and recurrent oligodendrogliomas with 1p/19q-codeletion. Initial treatment for these patients was mostly chemotherapy alone.