Genetic Link to Rare Brain Tumour Discovered
31 July 2011 - Scientists have conducted the first whole-genome scan of the brain tumour meningioma and revealed a genetic region that increases the risk of developing the disease.
Professor Richard Houlston from the ICR led the major international collaboration comparing the DNA of 1,633 meningioma patients and 2,464 healthy controls, using a technique known as a genome-wide association study.
Relatives of people with meningiomas were known to be three times more likely to develop the disease but little was known about what increased their risk. A small proportion of meningiomas are linked to four rare genetic diseases called neurofibromatiosis type-2, Coden, Werner and Gorlin symdromes, however they account for a very small proportion of the increased familial risk. Professor Houlston said the study had begun to shed light on the biggest part of the inherited risk.
The genetic region found is very closely linked with two genes called AF10 and MLLT10, which are known to be involved in the development of leukaemia.
