Two Distinct Subtypes of DIPGs Discovered

A recent study discovered two distinct subtypes in pediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG) typically found in children.

The project was the first to conduct a detailed analysis of proteome, transcriptome, methylome and Histone H3 mutation profiles of DIPG specimens.

Background information from the study notes that one of its major findings was the discovery of the two distinct subtypes of DIPGs and the identification of potential molecular pathways that can lead to poorer overall survival of patients carrying histone 3 mutations.

DIPG is classified as an aggressive tumor found in the brain stem that cannot be surgically removed and is typically unable to be biopsied due to the invasiveness of the procedure. Because of this, there are a lack of tissue samples that have contributed to a limited understanding of the tumor bilogy and hindered development of treatment in order to improve survival rates.

"Pediatric DIPGs are almost always lethal, and most children do not survive beyond 18 months with this type of tumor," said lead study author Dr. Javad Nazarian, Ph.D. 

 "Our results have shown that a multidimensional molecular analysis can contribute to our understanding of DIPGs and guide future research for developing therapeutics." 

The Children's Research Institute (CRI) at Children's National Health System has generated the only published data regarding protein profiling of DIPGs, according to background information from the study. This is the third study of its kind published by CRI.

However, researchers note that further research and a larger cohort are needed in order to identify all possible subtypes of DIPGs. 

More information regarding the study can be found here.