Soft tissue cancers, including malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors arising in people with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), have recently undergone comprehensive genetic and genomic analyses. This landmark study, involving Drs. Brian Van Tine (Medical Oncology) David H. Gutmann (Neurology) and Li Ding (Genetics) from Washington University, characterized over 200 adult sarcomas representing six different types of these cancers.
They demonstrate that different molecular changes characterize each subtype of sarcoma, providing new insights into the biology of these deadly cancers. In addition to examining a small number of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, they also discovered mutations in the NF1 gene in many of these cancers.
Taken together, this important study reveals new potential therapies for these malignant tumors.
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Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network. Electronic address: elizabeth.demicco@sinaihealthsystem.ca; Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network. Comprehensive and Integrated Genomic Characterization of Adult Soft Tissue Sarcomas. Cell. 2017 Nov 2;171(4):950-965.e28. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.10.014. PMID: 29100075