Children with NF1 are at risk for developing brain tumors in the optic pathway (optic pathway gliomas, OPGs), which can cause vision loss and endocrine problems. However, it is currently unclear which children with NF1 will develop these tumors, or how severe their disease will become. Using mouse models of NF1, the Brossier Lab recently identified that maternal exposure to a high-fat, high-sugar diet increases the growth of the cells that give rise to OPGs, leading to earlier OPG formation. These studies establish a foundation for further investigations into how diet affects OPG growth and whether dietary modification may be an effective adjunctive strategy for the treatment of these tumors.
This manuscript was published in Neuro-Oncology