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SUMMARY:Plasticity of Cancer Cells : Lessons from Glioblastoma - Inder Ver
 ma\, Salk Institute for Biological Studies
DTSTART:20150904T151500Z
DTEND:20150904T161500Z
UID:TALK60336@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Scientific Meetings Co-ordinator
DESCRIPTION:Glioblastomas are one of the most lethal cancers with very poo
 r prognosis of survival .One of the remarkable feature of gliomas is that 
 recurrence is nearly universal\, and as few as 10-100 cells tumor cells ca
 n give rise to lethal tumors. Using lentiviral vectors to generate  mouse 
 models of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) which faithfully phenocopies the h
 uman tumors anatomically\, histological and by  molecular signatures\, we 
 have shown that all tumors can originate in the brain from glial or neuron
 al cells .  We show that terminally differentiated glial or neuronal  cell
 s can undergo dedifferentiation/reprograming  upon transduction with oncog
 enes or removal of suppressor genes \,leading to formation of malignant gl
 iomas.In the hypoxic regions of the tumors\, the cells can transdifferenti
 ate into endothelial cells ( TDECs) capable of making functional blood ves
 sels\, thus establishing the plasticity of the transformed cell .  Consequ
 ently \, drugs that block formation of normal blood vessels are unable to 
 stop tumor growth because TDECs are devoid of VEGFR. We are using a variet
 y of drugs to inhibit formation of TDECs. We are also pursuing the use of 
 inhibitors of NFkB to block the tumor growth\, and thus reduce the tumor b
 urden and extend life span 
LOCATION:Max Perutz Lecture Theatre\, Medical Research Council (MRC) (MRC 
 Laboratory of Molecular Biol
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