Researchers Find Protein Linked to DNA Damage and the Development of Child Brain Tumors

In a recent study published in the journal Developmental Cell, scientists at the University of Montreal discovered a mechanism that promotes the progression of medulloblastoma, the most common brain tumor found in children. During the study, the research team found a protein — known as Sonic Hedgehog — induces DNA damage, which causes the cancer to develop. Sonic Hedgehog belongs to a family of proteins that gives cells the information needed for an embryo to develop properly. It also plays a significant role in tumorigenesis, the process that transforms normal cells into cancer cells. “Our team studied a protein called Boc, which is a receptor located on the cell surface that detects Sonic Hedgehog,” explained one of the study’s lead authors. “With this study, we found that the presence of Boc is required for Sonic Hedgehog to induce DNA damage.” Furthermore, the results of the study found that Boc causes DNA damage in tumor cells, which promotes the progression of precancerous lesions into advanced medulloblastoma. To read more about this study, click here.