Researchers from John Hopkins University in Maryland and Duke University in North Carolina have discovered a gene mutation that can identify the difference between two of the deadliest brain cancers, which would assist in the diagnosing of tumours. Glioblastoma is a common tumour that occurs in two types; primary and secondary. Primary Glioblastoma tumours grow quickly and large while secondary tumours grow slower and smaller. The mutated gene, isocitrate dehydrogenase-1, is found in the secondary form of glioblastoma and codes for an enzyme that is involved in cell metabolism. Therefore if the gene is mutated, it can be assumed that it cannot code for the enzyme needed, and cell metabolism is inhibited.
Isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 has one nucleotide change in approximately the same place on each gene so is easy to locate. This is helpful because the mutation can be used as a biological marker to compare to primary Glioblastoma as both the Glioblastoma tumours appear similar when examined through a microscope.
The researchers involved in the discovery of the mutation are unsure if treatments will be derived from the mutation in the future, but the difference between the primary and secondary Glioblastoma tumours are shown, which assists in the diagnosis of the tumours.
Original article from: http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2009/223/1
Other reference: http://www.irsa.org/glioblastoma.html
Picture from: http://www.frankvoisin.com/?p=93
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