Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026
06:22
Nuclei Isolation from Fresh Frozen Brain Tumors for Single-Nucleus RNA-seq and ATAC-seq
Published on: August 25, 2020
12.0K
Inferred developmental origins of brain tumors from single-cell RNA-sequencing data
Su Wang1, Rachel Naomi Curry2,3, Malcolm F McDonald4,5,2
1Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
Neuro-Oncology Advances
|May 5, 2025
Summary
A new computational tool, COORS, identifies developmental origins of brain tumors by analyzing single-cell RNA sequencing data. This tool aids in understanding tumor heterogeneity and developing targeted therapies for brain cancers.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Oncology
- Computational Biology
Background:
- Reactivation of neurodevelopmental programs is observed in cancer, suggesting shared biological processes between development and brain tumors.
- Understanding dysregulated developmental factors in brain tumor progression is crucial for identifying therapeutic targets.
- Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) enables high-resolution analysis of developmental program dysregulation in brain tumors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the developmental origins of brain tumors using scRNA-Seq data.
- To develop a computational tool for annotating developmental-like cell states in brain tumors.
Main Methods:
- Introduction of COORS (Cell Of ORigin like CellS), a computational tool trained on human brain developmental scRNA-Seq datasets.
- COORS utilizes cell type-specific multilayer perceptron models and a developmental cell type tree to model cell type probabilities.
- Application of COORS to medulloblastoma (MB), glioma, and diffuse midline glioma (DMG) datasets.
Main Results:
- COORS identified developmental-like cells representing putative cells of origin in MB, glioma, and DMG.
- The tool provides cell of origin classification and cell age regression, revealing developmental insights into tumor subgroups.
- Specific findings include identification of outer radial glia in IDHWT glioma and oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) and neuronal-like cells in IDHMUT glioma, with OPCs showing bimodal developmental timing.
Conclusions:
- The study enhances understanding of brain tumor heterogeneity by pinpointing developmental origins.
- COORS provides novel markers associated with developmental states in brain tumors.
- This research contributes to paving the way for tailored therapeutic strategies in brain oncology.
Related Concept Videos
02:21Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell
Cancer arises from mutations in the critical genes that allow healthy cells to escape cell cycle regulation and acquire the ability to proliferate indefinitely. Though originating from a single mutation event in one of the originator cells, cancer progresses when the mutant cell lines continue to gain more and more mutations, and finally, become malignant. For example, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) develops initially as a non-lethal increase in white blood cells, which progressively...
02:21Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell
Cancer arises from mutations in the critical genes that allow healthy cells to escape cell cycle regulation and acquire the ability to proliferate indefinitely. Though originating from a single mutation event in one of the originator cells, cancer progresses when the mutant cell lines continue to gain more and more mutations, and finally, become malignant. For example, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) develops initially as a non-lethal increase in white blood cells, which progressively...