Reports from "hot spots"
Scientists have discovered "hot spots" in the brain, indicating signs of cancer
British neuroscientists have discovered clusters of cells in the human brain that determine the places where tumors can become malignant. The results of the study are published in the journal Neuro-Oncology Advances (Kirby et al., Multicellular ‘hotspots’ harbour high-grade potential in lower-grade gliomas).
Brain cancer is difficult to treat because it is very invasive. Even after surgery and chemoradiotherapy, there is still a high risk that some cancer cells remain and the cancer will return. In addition, some brain tumors can be benign for many years, and then very quickly change their behavior and become aggressive. Especially often, doctors observe such a picture in young people.
Researchers from the London Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College, in collaboration with the British NHS Foundation Trust, decided to find cellular markers that can be used to predict the development of a tumor. To do this, they selected and analyzed fragments of living brain tissue of twenty people who underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor at King's College Hospital, the largest center of neuro-oncology in Europe.
"The living tissue of the human brain offers excellent opportunities to study how a tumor responds to treatment. Its study is capable of revolutionizing oncology and bringing closer the day when we can treat brain cancer," the press release says. The words of the first author of the article Dr. Alastair Kirby (Alastair Kirby).
To ensure safety, the selected samples were cooled and immersed in a solution of cerebrospinal fluid. After the tissue was delivered to the laboratory, it was placed in a miniature incubation chamber, where the living cells were illuminated with special fluorescent dyes in order to make them easier to study under a microscope.
In the course of the work, the authors found "hot spots" – groups of tumor cells grouped around blood vessels. According to scientists, these areas may be hotbeds of malignant progression – the process by which the tumor becomes rapidly growing and uncontrolled.
"This research is of great importance. In the "hot spots" that we found, many signs of cancer appeared. The ability to accurately identify areas with a high risk of malignancy gives us a much better chance to determine in which case a brain tumor becomes malignant," says study leader Dr. Gerald Finnerty, honorary consultant neurologist at King's College Hospital.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru