Source: PR Newswire
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Feb. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — A recent discovery by Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) scientists enables the prediction of patient sensitivity to proposed drug therapies for glioblastoma – the most common and most aggressive malignant brain tumor in humans.
The study, published in January in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, investigated glioblastoma models characterized by cell signaling activation and gene amplification for their susceptibility to inhibitors of both the human MET oncogene and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EFGR).
An oncogene is a gene with the potential to cause cancer. In tumor cells, they are often mutated or expressed at high levels. High MET levels often occur in human tumors, and cells with inappropriate MET signaling produce activity that potently affects the spread of cancer.
Read More: Discovery Predicts Patient Sensitivity to Important Drug Target in Deadly Brain Cancer
Cartoon by Bob Moran
