Researchers reveal how pediatric brain tumors grow

Pilocytic astrocytoma (PA), the most common brain tumor in children, accounts for approximately 15% of pediatric cases. Although not typically fatal, its uncontrolled growth can affect brain development and function. Current treatments focus on removing tumor cells, but new research suggests that other brain cells also play a role in the progression of these tumors, opening the door to innovative approaches.

Now, a team at Washington University in St. Louis (USA) has discovered how glutamate, a neurotransmitter essential for communication between neurons, contributes to AP growth.

According to a report in the journal ' Neuron ', tumor cells manipulate glutamate receptors to send signals that stimulate cell proliferation, instead of transmitting normal electrical impulses.

The researchers demonstrated that blocking these receptors with drugs, including memantine (already approved for the treatment of Alzheimer's), reduced the growth of human tumors implanted in mice. They also observed that glutamate receptors couple abnormally with cell growth receptors, further fueling the tumor.

"With these types of pediatric brain tumors, we simply don't have many tools," explains senior author David Gutmann , a professor of neurology at WashU Medicine. "The ability to repurpose already approved drugs gives us an advantage in treating patients."

First author Corina Anastasaki emphasizes that the discovery reveals a previously unseen mechanism: the aberrant combination of electrical signaling and cell growth. "This will allow us to study how other neurotransmitters might influence different types of cancer and develop new therapies."

The next steps are to determine whether such drugs are safe for use in children with brain tumors and in what quantities they would be effective, Gutmann says, which will require clinical trials.

"This study provides compelling preclinical data for analyzing drugs that are safe and approved for treating other neurological conditions," Gutmann said. "This could facilitate new therapeutic approaches and could help minimize damage to a child's developing brain by reducing the interaction between brain cells and tumor cells."