Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 15, 2026

Characterization of Functionally Associated miRNAs in Glioblastoma and their Engineering into Artificial Clusters for Gene Therapy
09:40

Characterization of Functionally Associated miRNAs in Glioblastoma and their Engineering into Artificial Clusters for Gene Therapy

Published on: October 4, 2019

Multiple functions of a glioblastoma fusion oncogene

Ivan Babic1, Paul S Mischel

  • 1Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, UCSD, La Jolla, California, USA.

The Journal of Clinical Investigation
|January 10, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Researchers discovered a new FGFR3-TACC3 fusion oncogene in glioblastoma. Loss of a miR-99a binding site enhances tumor progression, offering potential new therapeutic targets for this cancer.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Gene fusions are increasingly recognized as drivers of cancer.
  • Glioblastoma is an aggressive brain tumor with limited treatment options.
  • MicroRNAs play crucial roles in regulating gene expression and cellular processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify novel gene fusions in glioblastoma using RNA sequencing.
  • To elucidate the mechanism of pathogenicity for identified fusion oncogenes.
  • To explore potential therapeutic strategies targeting these novel oncogenic drivers.

Main Methods:

  • RNA sequencing was employed to detect gene fusions in glioblastoma samples.
  • Functional assays were performed to assess the impact of the FGFR3-TACC3 fusion on cellular signaling.
  • Analysis of microRNA binding sites and their role in regulating gene expression was conducted.

Main Results:

  • An FGFR3-TACC3 fusion oncogene was identified in glioblastoma.
  • The fusion results in the loss of a miR-99a binding site in the 3'-untranslated region of FGFR3.
  • This loss abrogates miR-99a-mediated inhibition, leading to enhanced FGFR3 signaling and accelerated tumor progression compared to wild-type FGFR3.

Conclusions:

  • The FGFR3-TACC3 fusion represents a novel oncogenic driver in a subset of glioblastomas.
  • The disruption of miR-99a regulation is a key mechanism contributing to the pathogenicity of this fusion.
  • Targeting the aberrant FGFR3 signaling pathway presents a promising therapeutic avenue for glioblastoma patients harboring this fusion.

More Related Videos

Isolation and Flow Cytometric Analysis of Glioma-infiltrating Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells12:52

Isolation and Flow Cytometric Analysis of Glioma-infiltrating Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Published on: November 28, 2015

Co-culture of Glutamatergic Neurons and Pediatric High-Grade Glioma Cells Into Microfluidic Devices to Assess Electrical Interactions07:39

Co-culture of Glutamatergic Neurons and Pediatric High-Grade Glioma Cells Into Microfluidic Devices to Assess Electrical Interactions

Published on: November 17, 2021

Related Concept Videos

Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes01:33

Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes

Genes usually encode proteins necessary for the proper functioning of a healthy cell. Mutations can often cause changes to the gene expression pattern, thereby altering the phenotype.
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes01:33

Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes

Genes usually encode proteins necessary for the proper functioning of a healthy cell. Mutations can often cause changes to the gene expression pattern, thereby altering the phenotype.
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways01:19

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways

Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells01:06

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different cell types. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are terminally differentiated; however, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they dedifferentiate and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
Somatic cells are...
The Ras Gene02:38

The Ras Gene

The Ras-gene-encoded proteins are regulators of signaling pathways controlling cell proliferation, differentiation, or cell survival. The Ras-gene family in humans constitutes three primary members—the HRas, NRas, and KRas. These genes code for four functionally distinct yet closely related proteins—the HRas, NRas, KRas4A, and KRas4B. The involvement of mutant Ras genes in human cancer was first discovered in 1982 and is among the most common causes of human tumorigenesis.
Ras is a superfamily...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...