The most common brain tumor in children with NF1 is a low-grade glioma affecting the optic pathway, a bundle of nerves that carry vision from the eye to the brain. While many of these tumors do not cause any medical problems, at least one third of children with NF1-optic pathway gliomas (NF1-OPG) will experience some […]
Category: News Story
New Therapy Identified for MPNST in NF1
One of the most aggressive tumors in people with NF1 is the malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST). A recent team science study led by Christine Pratilas MD at Johns Hopkins University, David Largaespada PhD and David Wood PhD at University of Minnesota, Sara Gosline PhD at Pacific Northwest National Laboratories, Angela Hirbe, MD, PhD […]
The Gutmann Laboratory Welcomes New Staff Scientist, Dr. Enquan Xu
We want to welcome Dr. Enquan Xu to the Gutmann Laboratory. Dr. Xu graduated from University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2017 with a PhD in Neuropharmacology and Immunology. He previously studied the role of immune cells in methamphetamine-induced Parkinson’s disease. Currently, he serves as a staff scientist in the Gutmann Laboratory. Enquan is focused […]
Rui Mu joins the NF Center as a Bioinformatic Specialist in the Gutmann Laboratory
Rui recently graduated from the Master of Science in Biostatistics (MSIBS) program at Washington University School of Medicine. Following graduation, she joined the Gutmann laboratory as a full-time Bioinformatics Research Analyst. In this position, she analyzes single-cell RNA sequencing and bulk RNA sequencing data for numerous scientific research projects, applies and develops new methods for […]
Dr. Corina Anastasaki, PhD Wins the Women in Neuroscience Award
On behalf of the Society of Neuro-Oncology and the SNO Women and Diversity Committee, it is my pleasure to inform you that your abstract, CNSC-43 “Targeting neuronal excitability for Nf1low-grade glioma therapy,” has been selected for the 2023 Women in Neuro-Oncology (WiN) Abstract Award in Basic/Translational Science Research at the upcoming 28th Annual Meeting of […]
NF Center Researchers Demonstrate that a Mutation in the Cytokine Receptor-Like Factor-3 (CRLF3) Gene Causes Neuronal Deficits
Children with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) are prone to intellectual and developmental disabilities, including learning and memory problems, attention deficit, autism, and developmental delays. Prior work from the laboratory of Dr. David Gutmann, Washington University NF Center Director, showed that mini-brains from children with NF1 total gene deletions have impaired nerve cell (neuron) development, particularly […]
Dr. David Gutmann Inducted Into the National Academy of Medicine
Membership in the National Academy of Medicine is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. About Dr. Gutmann, MD, PhD Dr. David H. Gutmann, the Donald O. Schnuck Family Professor in Neurology, was elected in 2022 […]
Josh Breunig, David Gutmann, and Yuan Pan receive a Collaborative Department of Defense Grant
The Department of Defense Neurofibromatosis (NF) Research Program recently awarded Drs. Joshua Breunig (Cedars Sinai), David Gutmann (Washington University), and Yuan Pan (MD Anderson Cancer Center) a three-year grant to study NF1-associated brain tumors. The team will leverage a state-of-the-art genetic technology called Mosaic Analysis with Dual Recombinases (MDAR) to model brain tumors in NF1 […]
Camp NF Takes Flight!
Through our amazing community partnerships, we were able to launch Camp NF this summer. Camp NF is a therapy-focused summer camp for children in kindergarten through 8th grade with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Hosted at an outpatient therapy clinic under the guidance of physical, occupational, and music therapists, children with NF1 had the opportunity to […]
Dr. Christopher Ray Joins the NF Center
Dr. Ray joins the NF Center as the new Adult NF1 Clinical provider. He is an Assistant Professor of Neurology. He completed his residency and fellowship training at Washington University prior to joining the General Neurology and Stroke Neurology faculty. Dr. Ray strives to provide comprehensive neurological care to adult NF patients, including an interest […]
NF Center Undergraduate Receives Prestigious Summer Research Grant
Lara Marquez Y Marco, an undergraduate researcher in the Washington University NF Center, was recently awarded a summer Pediatric Oncology Student Training (POST) Program grant from Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. For her summer project, Lara will work with senior postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Jit Chatterjee, in the laboratory of Dr. David Gutmann, to explore the relationship […]
Corina and Yuan present at Pediatric SNO Cancer Neuroscience Meeting
Corina Anastasaki and Yuan Pan (MD Anderson) were recently invited to present their work for the cancer neuroscience session at the Pediatrics Society for Neuro-Oncology meeting in Washington D.C. (June 2023). Cancer neuroscience is a new and emerging field in cancer research that explores the notion that neurons, the nerves of our body, are not […]
The Washington University NF Center launches its first ever NF Family Day
On June 3rd, the Missouri Botanical Garden opened its doors for the Washington University NF Center Family Day. This was our first ever event, and it was an overwhelming success! From a scavenger hunt and splash pad to potting a plant and painting, the NF Center Family Day included therapy experiences for all ages. In […]
Dr. Angela Hirbe and collaborators publish a three-dimensional MPNST culture system to test therapeutic combinations
The laboratory of Dr. Angela Hirbe, along with collaborators in the Largaespada and Wood labs at the University of Minnesota, the Pratilas lab at Johns Hopkins University, and the Gosline lab have just published a novel three-dimensional MPNST culture system to test novel therapeutic combinations. They hope this system will allow for high throughput testing of […]
Yuan Pan and Nicole Brossier awarded DoD grant to study the interaction between Nf1 mutation and diet
Drs. Yuan Pan (Assistant Professor, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center) and Nicole Brossier (Assistant Professor, Washington University) were recently awarded a three-year grant from the Department of Defense NF Research Program to study the interaction between Nf1 mutation and maternal diet. Together, Drs. Pan and Brossier will study how genetic and environmental factors both individually […]
Anna Wilson Begins Medical School at Harvard
Anna Wilson has finished her two-year tenure as a postbaccalaureate researcher in the Gutmann laboratory and will move to Boston to start medical school at Harvard this fall. Anna joined the lab as an undergraduate research trainee in the fall of 2019, eventually completing her senior honors thesis before graduating Summa Cum Laude from Washington […]
Meet Michelle Lambert
We are so excited to welcome Michelle to the Gutmann Laboratory. In her role, she will serve as one of the Gutmann Lab managers. Her previous research experience at the University of Missouri – Columbia was in cardiovascular physiology focused on calcium homeostasis in the heart. Her favorite part of working in the lab was […]
NF Patient Story
By St. Louis Children’s Hospital Logan is a 7-year-old who not only loves to be around others but is also just one belt away from a black belt in Taekwondo and enjoys playing Minecraft and Roblox. Three years ago, Logan was diagnosed with NF1. For Logan, his NF included the thickening of the optic nerves […]
NF Center Researchers Identify a Potential Combination Therapy for MPNST
Dr. Dana Borcherding, a senior scientist in the laboratory of Dr. Angela Hirbe, recently found that the combination of two drugs targeting different growth control pathways in MPNST cells dramatically decreased tumor growth in mice. In their studies, they combined a TYK2 inhibitor with a MEK inhibitor to achieve this dramatic effect with minimal toxicity. […]