Periodic Report Summary 2 - H3.3CANCER (The histone H3.3 variant in brain cancer pathogenesis)
Our work to date has led to the development of faithful pre-clinical models demonstrating the cancer-driving nature of specific mutations found in high-grade glioma, the most lethal solid tumour in children. This is an achievement not yet published by any other group despite significant interest and mobilisation of resources worldwide. Critically, these models will provide i) key insights into disease mechanisms and ii) a platform for drug screening approaches. This in turn has the potential to translate into clinical studies aimed at testing new therapeutic approaches for this devastating disease. In summary, we can confidently say that the project is on course to achieving its main objectives and will constitute a key contribution to the fields of neuro-oncology, with implications for other neoplasms characterized by similar genetic changes.