Astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas are subtypes of a brain cancer called ‘glioma’. These incurable brain tumors arise from glial cells, a type of support cell found in the central nervous system. “Low-grade gliomas”, which grow comparatively slowly, spread in a diffuse manner across the brain and are very difficult to completely eliminate through surgery. In many cases, the effectiveness of treatments with chemotherapy and radiotherapy is very limited. Gliomas can develop into extremely aggressive glioblastomas.
Low-grade gliomas have a particular feature in common: more than 70% of the cases exhibit the same gene mutation in tumor cells. An identical “typo” in the DNA causes the exchange of a single, specific protein building block (amino acid) in an enzyme called isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1). As a result, most cancer cells do not follow the original building plan for the protein; at the 132nd position in the molecule’s sequence, they insert the amino acid histidine instead of arginine.
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From News Medical