Medulloblastoma
Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in children, accounting for approximately 20% of all brain tumors. Although relatively rare, it is still a health issue worth paying attention to due to its significant impact on the pediatric population. Alfa Cytology is a world leader in the development of cancer vaccines. With our extensive experience and advanced platform, we can provide the best vaccine development services for medulloblastoma.
Introduction to Medulloblastoma
Medulloblastoma is a cancerous brain tumor that primarily affects children. It originates from the cerebellum, a brain region responsible for balance and coordination. If not detected and treated in time, this rapidly growing tumor may spread to other parts of the brain and spinal cord.
Fig. 1 Location of medulloblastoma. (Northcott, P. A., et al., 2019)
Mechanism of Medulloblastoma
Medulloblastoma originates from immature cells in the cerebellum known as granulosa neuron precursors. Mutations and abnormalities in key signaling pathways play important roles in the development of medulloblastoma, such as WNT and SHH. These changes lead to uncontrolled cell growth, resistance to normal regulatory mechanisms that limit cell proliferation, and invasion of surrounding tissues.
Fig. 2 Immunotherapy in medulloblastoma. (Voskamp, M.J., et al., 2021)
Therapies for Medulloblastoma
Research on new therapies, combination therapies, and targeted drugs for medulloblastoma is actively underway. These trials aim to evaluate the safety, effectiveness, and long-term outcomes of new therapy strategies for this invasive pediatric brain tumor. This also includes several molecular targets of medulloblastoma. Some noteworthy targets and therapies are shown in the table below.
| Target/Therapy | Description |
| PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway inhibitors | Drugs or therapies targeting this signaling pathway primarily exert their effects by disrupting the cell growth and survival pathways of medulloblastoma cells. For example, everolimus and temsirolimus. |
| SMO inhibitors | Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) pathway inhibitors target abnormal SHH signaling in certain cases of medulloblastoma, such as vismodegib and sonidegib. |
| Immunotherapy | Immunotherapy methods eliminate tumor cells by enhancing the body's immune response to medulloblastoma, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, and cancer vaccines. |
Medulloblastoma Vaccine Research and Development
Recently, the development of therapeutic medulloblastoma vaccines has been an active research field due to their safety and efficacy. The medulloblastoma vaccine effectively activates the immune system, enabling it to more effectively recognize and attack tumor cells, ultimately achieving the goal of eliminating tumors. The following are several vaccine types being explored.
mRNA-based vaccines transmit genetic instructions to cells to produce tumor antigens, effectively training the immune system to recognize and eliminate medulloblastoma cells.
Peptide vaccines stimulate specific tumor-related peptides, which can activate the body's immune response against medulloblastoma cells.
Dendritic cells loaded with tumor-specific antigens are used to initiate the immune system's recognition and attack of medulloblastoma cells.
Our Service
Against medulloblastoma, Alfa Cytology provides various services related to vaccine development, including antigen recognition services, adjuvant and delivery system development services, and vaccine preclinical testing services.
Medulloblastoma poses a significant challenge to pediatric oncology, emphasizing the need for immunotherapy and innovative therapies. Alfa Cytology is committed to the research and development of therapeutic medulloblastoma vaccines, from the discovery of cancer antigens, and the development of different types of vaccines, to vaccine research for different cancer types, providing one-stop services. If you are interested in our service, please contact us for more information.
References
- Northcott, P. A., et al.; (2019). Medulloblastoma. Nat Rev Dis Primers, 5(1). doi:10.1038/s41572-019-0063-6
- Voskamp, M.J., et al.; (2021) Immunotherapy in Medulloblastoma: Current State of Research, Challenges, and Future Perspectives.