Cancer Cell: A potential treatment for deadly childhood cancer

A study led by McMaster University says an enzyme that promotes the growth of deadly brain cancers in children could be key
to future treatments.

The researchers found that by blocking the production of an enzyme called dhdh, they were able to stop the growth of medulloblastoma, the most aggressive subtype
of this cancer, in mouse models amplified by the MYC gene.

Lead author William Gwen said that while blocking DHDH could stop the spread of cancer, healthy brain and nerve cells would not be affected
.
This would avoid the sequelae of current treatments, including radiation and chemotherapy, which, even if successfully treated for cancer, can impair a child's brain development
.

Gwynne, a postdoctoral researcher at the Cancer Discovery Centre, said: "This potential therapeutic pathway would allow us to eradicate weeds but preserve flowers
in the developing brain.

"This DHDH treatment goal is promising, but it will be several years before it reaches clinical trials
.
Unlike current treatments, this potential new treatment will not be toxic
to the developing brain.
”

Gwen said all types of medulloblastoma originate from neural stem cells in the cerebellum, the part
of the brain that controls autonomous behaviors such as walking, balance, coordination and speech.
The cerebellum is fully
developed after the birth of the child.

Cancer begins when there is a problem with the development of cells in the cerebellum, he said, but studying the causes of this dysfunction could lead to new treatments
.

Common medulloblastoma symptoms include difficulty with gait and balance, nausea, headache, and swollen
head.

By the time a child is diagnosed, the cancer has usually spread throughout the brain and into the spinal fluid, especially if it is a subtype
of MYC amplification.

Medulloblastoma is the most common childhood brain cancer in children, Gwen said, and brain tumors have recently overtaken leukemia as the deadliest childhood malignancy
.

"Over the past 20 years, we have made significant advances in surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, so the 5-year survival rate for medulloblastoma is now over 70 percent
.
"

"However, about 30 percent of children's cancers do not respond to currently available treatments, and they have no other options
.
"

External funding for this research was provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health, the Ontario Cancer Institute Cancer Stem Cell Program, the Canadian Cancer Society Institute, the Box Run Foundation and the Kelsey Team Foundation
.