An animal model of MYC-driven medulloblastoma

Cancer Cell. 2012 Feb 14;21(2):155-67. doi: 10.1016/j.ccr.2011.12.021.

Abstract

Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant brain tumor in children. Patients whose tumors exhibit overexpression or amplification of the MYC oncogene (c-MYC) usually have an extremely poor prognosis, but there are no animal models of this subtype of the disease. Here, we show that cerebellar stem cells expressing Myc and mutant Trp53 (p53) generate aggressive tumors following orthotopic transplantation. These tumors consist of large, pleiomorphic cells and resemble human MYC-driven MB at a molecular level. Notably, antagonists of PI3K/mTOR signaling, but not Hedgehog signaling, inhibit growth of tumor cells. These findings suggest that cerebellar stem cells can give rise to MYC-driven MB and identify a novel model that can be used to test therapies for this devastating disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aminopyridines / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / genetics
  • Cerebellar Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Cerebellar Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Cerebellum / pathology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Genes, p53 / physiology
  • Imidazoles / pharmacology
  • Medulloblastoma / drug therapy
  • Medulloblastoma / pathology*
  • Mice
  • Morpholines / pharmacology
  • Neural Stem Cells / pathology
  • Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / physiology*
  • Quinolines / pharmacology
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / physiology

Substances

  • Aminopyridines
  • Imidazoles
  • Morpholines
  • NVP-BKM120
  • Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc
  • Quinolines
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • dactolisib

Associated data

  • GEO/GSE34126