What are gliomas, and why is this glioma brain tumor research important?

Gliomas are a type of brain tumor that occurs when normal cells in the brain become abnormal and grow uncontrollably. They are the most common type of brain tumor and can be very difficult to treat. The most prevalent type of glioma, glioblastoma, is especially challenging because it is highly aggressive and often resists treatment. 

Despite our best efforts with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, glioblastomas often relapse. One reason for this is that each tumor is unique, and even within a single tumor, different cells can have different mutations. Another challenge is that cancer cells in glioblastomas interact with normal cells in the brain in ways that make them harder to kill. This makes it very difficult to find an effective treatment that works for everyone. We need new approaches that can attack different types of cells within the tumor, and we need to understand the complex nature of these tumors better. 

In the Al-Holou lab, our research is focused on understanding how brain cancer stem cells interact with normal brain cells and immune cells in the brain tumor microenvironment. To achieve this, we utilize cutting-edge spatial and single-cell sequencing technology to study individual cells and their interactions within tumors, and then model these interactions.  By studying these complex interactions, we can uncover the mechanisms that drive aggressive tumor behavior and identify potential vulnerabilities that can be targeted to develop novel ground-breaking treatments for these life-threatening neoplasms.