Brain Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Brain Cancer, including details on symptoms, benign and malignant tumors, gliomas, treatment.

Glioblastoma multiforme: the role of DSB repair between genotype and phenotype.

Fischer U, Meese E

Department of Human Genetics, Saarland University, Homburg/Saar, Germany.

Glioblastoma is the most frequent primary brain tumor in adults. The average survival time of less than 1 year did not improve notably over the last three decades. The dismal prognosis of glioblastoma patients is largely due to the striking radioresistance of this tumor. Here, we attempt a combined view on the genetics, the repair mechanisms and the radioresistance of glioblastoma. Specifically, we address the role of DNA-PKcs and the novel potential end-joining factor KUB3 in maintaining the radioresistant phenotype, the interrelationship between genetic lesions and repair mechanisms, and new perspectives that emerge from the identification of glioblastoma stem cells.

Published 10 December 2007 in Oncogene, 26(56): 7809-15.
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