
Brain UK study ref: 24/012,
Lay summary,
Project status: Active
IDH-mutant diffuse glioma with primitive neuronal component
Prof Jančálek and Dr Hendrych, St. Anne’s University Hospital Brno, Czech Republic
We are studying rare types of brain cancers, focusing on understanding their unique features and how they behave. By using advanced genetic tools, we aim to improve how these cancers are diagnosed and pave the way for future research into better treatments. Over recent years, new methods that analyse the genetic and molecular makeup of tumours have greatly improved the accuracy of brain cancer diagnosis. These techniques also help in identifying subtle differences between different types of brain tumours.
Our focus is on two rare and hard-to-diagnose brain cancers: Astrocytoma IDH-mutant with a primitive neuronal component and Oligodendroglioma IDH-mutant, 1p/19q codeleted with a primitive neuronal component. These tumours are particularly difficult to study because they are both rare and have unusual feature – an atypical microscopic morphology resembling embryonal brain tumours, known as the primitive neuronal component. Additionally, recent changes in how brain tumours are classified have made gathering enough data on these types even more challenging. By applying these advanced methods, we hope to better understand these cancers, leading to improved diagnosis and potentially opening doors for future treatment options.