Unraveling Brain Tumors

Reported September 2007

Memphis, Tenn. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Brain tumors are often deadly. Figuring out a way to wipe them out has been a mystery for scientists. But now, a new discovery may offer clues and hope for those with even the most hard-to-treat tumors.

In the last two months, Will Pappas has had three surgeries, chemo and radiation.

"You hold out hope that well, it's just something little, and they can get it all. And then it wasn't. Then you think, well, at least it's not cancerous, and then it is," Cayce Pappas, Will’s mom, says.

"It" is a brain tumor -- the stubborn kind that's hard to treat. In fact, doctors gave this seven-year-old only a 20 percent chance of surviving. Stories like Will's have molecular biologists determined to find a way to destroy brain tumors.

"It's what makes us all come to work in the morning," Richard Gilbertson, M.D., Ph.D., molecular biologist from St. Jude Children's Hospital, says.h

For years, researchers thought all cells inside a tumor were the same. But recently, they've discovered something different -- a small group of cancer stem cells.

"They give rise to all the cells that make up the cancer," Dr. Gilbertson explains.

Dr. Gilbertson's research shows those cancer stem cells live close to blood vessels, which fuel them. In lab experiments, he's proven drugs that target the blood vessels also destroy the cancer stem cells and can ultimately wipe out the tumor.

"So, if you can target those cells, you can have a devastating effect on the disease," Dr. Gilbertson says.

Drugs like Avastin and Tarceva are now being tested in humans to see if they can target the cancer stem cells.

"It's this tangible way of actually getting at the heart of the disease," Dr. Gilbertson says.

Will is taking the drug Tarceva. His mom is hoping it will work a miracle.

"That would be amazing. We would jump at the opportunity to increase our odds. He's still got a lot left to do,” Cayce says.

Dr. Gilbertson says other cancers, like those of the blood, breast and colon, also contain cancer stem cells and may be treated in a similar way in the future.

Click here to Go Inside This Science or contact:

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, TN
(901) 495-3300

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