Pediatric Brain Tumors Spread Faster as Immune Cells Build Enabling Scaffolding
Scientists have identified a potential mechanism through which aggressive pediatric brain tumors called diffuse midline gliomas spread. The researchers found that immune cells within the brain, called microglia, produce proteins called fibronectin that help the tumors to progress. The findings, published in the Cell Death & Disease journal, offer a possible mechanism that can be targeted in efforts to develop effective treatments against these tumors. Conducted by a team at Karolinska Institutet, the researchers aimed to investigate what role microglia played in tumor progression and how these cells are impacted by the cancer. In their study, the team found that when microglia are exposed to diffuse midline glioma (DMG) cells, they respond by producing large quantities of fibronectin and…
