The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network reported the first results of its large-scale, comprehensive study of the most common form of brain cancer, glioblastoma (GBM) in the advance online edition of the journal Nature, released September 4, 2008. Among the TCGA findings are the identification of many gene mutations involved in GBM, including three previously unrecognized mutations that occur with significant frequency; and the delineation of core pathways disrupted in this type of brain cancer. One of the most exciting results is an unexpected observation that points to a potential mechanism of resistance to a common chemotherapy drug used for brain cancer.
*Advance online edition released September 4, 2008; final article published in the October 23, 2008 issue of Nature.