Read the latest news about scientific breakthroughs, clinical findings and special events benefiting neurofibromatosis research.
Student in NF Scholars Program Awarded ALSF POST fellowship
Hannah Wang, an undergraduate student in Dr. David Gutmann’s laboratory, was recently awarded an Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) Pediatric Oncology Student Training (POST) summer research internship. The program was founded with the mission to change the lives of children with cancer through funding impactful research, raising awareness, supporting families, and empowering everyone to help […]
NF Center Investigators Awarded Grant to Develop Human Cell Culture Models of NF1 Brain Tumors
Low-grade gliomas (LGGs) are common brain tumors arising in children with the Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) cancer predisposition syndrome. Unfortunately, the tumor cells from these brain cancers often die when grown in the laboratory under standard conditions. To more accurately model human LGGs from children with NF1, Washington University Assistant Professor, Dr. Corina Anastasaki, developed […]
NF1 Mutation Alters the Function of Human Microglia
Children with NF1 are prone to the development of autism and brain tumors, which could reflect the effect of NF1 mutation on microglia function. Microglia are specialized macrophages that constantly survey the brain in health and in the setting of nervous system disease. As such, microglia have been implicated in the development of autism and […]
NF Center Researchers Identify a New Potential Treatment for Optic Glioma Vision Loss
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 […]
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 […]