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Invited Abstract (Plenary Session): The Emerging Impact of Novel Preclinical Models

Stem cells, mice, and men: Integrating human and mouse genomics to advance understanding of the biology and treatment of brain tumors

St. Jude Children's Research Ctr., Memphis, TN

Abstract

PL-09

Despite dedicated efforts by physicians and scientists, significant government support and the tireless advocacy of fundraising groups, a high mortality rate and poor quality of life almost inevitably follow a brain tumor diagnosis. Many reasons have been proposed to explain why brain tumors continue to resist conventional medical treatment. These are summarized well by the real estate adage "location, location, location." Simply put, brain tumors are hard to treat because they occur in the brain. Although brain tumors rarely spread outside the nervous system, they infiltrate critical structures, curtailing the use of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation that can damage normal brain tissue. Thus most patients eventually succumb to the progressive destruction inflicted by their expanding tumor. However, a new hope is now emerging in the war on brain cancer. The new charge is being led by a joint force of basic neuroscientists, cancer biologists, and oncologists. This diverse band is bringing together the most recent understanding of brain development and cancer biology with novel approaches for blocking cancer causing genetic alterations. Spurred on by recent successes in leukemia, breast cancer, and lung cancer, we dare to hope that smart drugs, rationally designed and specifically targeted to each genetically defined subtype of brain tumor, will finally end the scourge of these diseases for ever.