Cecilie Jonsgar Sandberg
- Post doc., PhD, MSc
- +47 23071398
Identification of the gene expression profile in glioma stem cells
Gliomas are intrinsic brain tumors. They infiltrate the brain and usually recur after surgery. The most common type is astrocytoma grade IV or glioblastoma. This is a notoriously malignant tumor with median survival of about 12 months. We and others have identified a cell in these tumors that behave similar to a stem cells. We suspect that the tumor recurs and kills the patient due to that such tumor stem cells (TSCs) are left in the brain when the patient is operated.
Identification of unique properties in the TSCs may lead to therapy for the patients. I am especially concerned with signalling pathways controlling the proliferation and differentiation of these cells.
I grow TSCs isolated from low grade astrocyttomas and glioblastomas in vitro as spheres in serum-free media with TGFâ and FGF2. The cells are differentiated by withdrawal of mitogens and adding serum to the culture media. RNA is isolated from tissue, spheres and differentiated cells. The RNA is reverse transcribed to cDNA and further used for gene expression analysis.
The results from these expression studies will be used to identify and understand the most important signalling mechanisms involved in TSC proliferation, invasion etc.
Gliomas are intrinsic brain tumors. They infiltrate the brain and usually recur after surgery. The most common type is astrocytoma grade IV or glioblastoma. This is a notoriously malignant tumor with median survival of about 12 months. We and others have identified a cell in these tumors that behave similar to a stem cells. We suspect that the tumor recurs and kills the patient due to that such tumor stem cells (TSCs) are left in the brain when the patient is operated.
Identification of unique properties in the TSCs may lead to therapy for the patients. I am especially concerned with signalling pathways controlling the proliferation and differentiation of these cells.
I grow TSCs isolated from low grade astrocyttomas and glioblastomas in vitro as spheres in serum-free media with TGFâ and FGF2. The cells are differentiated by withdrawal of mitogens and adding serum to the culture media. RNA is isolated from tissue, spheres and differentiated cells. The RNA is reverse transcribed to cDNA and further used for gene expression analysis.
The results from these expression studies will be used to identify and understand the most important signalling mechanisms involved in TSC proliferation, invasion etc.