Project description:This is a whole exome study of brain metastases in melanoma. We are studying the genomic evolution of primary cutaneous melanoma to brain met in patients with brain-only metastatic disease. We are also looking at the genomic heterogeneity in patients with temporally, anatomically and regionally separated brian metastases.
Project description:We report a detailed characterization of the HPV16 genome in two brain metastases from OPSCC tumors. The use of a target enrichment strategy followed by next generation sequencing (NGS) provided an effective way to identify viral infection in tumor genome, including internal deletions and insertion sites into the host genome. Applying similar strategies to a larger cohort of HPV+ HNSCC brain metastases could help to identify biomarkers that can predict metastasis and/or identify novel therapeutic options.
Project description:Experiment: Expression profiling in breast cancer brain metastases (BC) compared to breast cancers (BC) and primary brain tumors (prBT). The objectives are to identify expression profiles that are specific to BCBM in order to identify new molecular biomarkers. The characterization of the BCBM samples included adjacent genetic techniques.
Project description:An improved understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of brain metastases, one of the most common and devastating complications of advanced melanoma, may identify and prioritize rational therapeutic approaches for this disease. In particular, the identification of molecular differences between brain and extracranial metastases would support the need for the development of organ-specific therapeutic approaches. Hotspot mutations, copy number variations (CNV), global mRNA expression patterns, and protein expression and activation, quantitatively analyzed by molecular inversion probe arrays, microarrays and reverse phase protein array (RPPA) were evaluated in pairs of melanoma brain metastases and extracranial metastases from patients who had undergone surgical resection for both types of tumors. Seventy-two samples from 52 brain (except for patient 01, who had a spinal cord metastasis) and extracranial metastases of melanoma were analyzed. Available biological replicates (different parts of the same tumor) were included.