Neurobiological basis of white matter organization in children with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 with and without low-grade glioma
Project Description:
Katherine Travis - Co-PI
Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is the most common inheritable tumor predisposition syndrome occurring in one-in-3000 people. Roughly 25% of patients with NF1 will develop a low-grade glioma. While gliomas are common in children with NF1, it is not clear who will develop a tumor and which of these tumors will grow to cause functional deficits. In addition, it has long been known that white matter structure in NF1 is abnormal. Our prior work using diffusion MRI indicates that these structural abnormalities may be due to abnormal myelination in the NF1 brain. The putative cells of origin for low-grade glioma, namely oligodendroglial precursor stem cells (OPCs) are the same cells that differentiate into the myelin-producing cells of the brain, and they have been shown previously to behave aberrantly in NF1. We hypothesize that these aberrant OPCs are leading to abnormal myelination as well as gliomagenesis, and that finding a biomarker of abnormal myelination may allow for better prediction of glioma presence in NF1. Our study would allow us to interrogate the myelination in the white matter tracts of children with NF1 with a new advanced neuroimaging tool called quantitative T1 relaxometry (qT1) that was developed here at Stanford. Due to our prior work using diffusion MRI in this population as well as our experience with qT1, our group is well poised to harness this novel imaging technique to further our work in finding a biomarker of gliomagenesis and tumor behavior in NF1.
Core Function(s):
Performing Research or Evaluation
Area of Emphasis
Health-Related Activities
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
None
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
National
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
