Project 10

DIAGNOSTICS AND MONITORING OF PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMORS FROM CELL-FREE DNA IN CEREBROSPINAL FLUID LIQUID BIOPSIES

The current gold standard of tumor diagnosis is histopathological analysis of a tissue biopsy. Due to their location, brain tumors cannot always be biopsied, with additional complications in pediatric brain tumors. The goal of this project is to establish a diagnostic pipeline using novel methods that do not require tissue biopsy and instead rely on liquid biopsies of the cerebrospinal fluid (or CSF) surrounding the brain. It is known that cells of the brain, including tumor cells, release cell-free DNA into the CSF, along with other analytes. The cell-free tumor DNA found in the CSF can be analyzed and may allow diagnosis of the specific tumor type. Changes in cell-free DNA during the course of disease and therapy will also be analyzed to investigate whether cell-free DNA from CSF biopsies can serve as an indicator of tumor progression or therapy efficacy. Methods used include droplet digital PCR, next-generation sequencing, and methylation-based methods.