Irradiating stem cell niche doubles survival in brain cancer patients



Pajonk said the study, published today in the early online edition of the journal BMC Cancer, could result in changes in the way radiation therapy is given to patients with these deadly brain cancers.



There is some evidence that many if not all cancers may spring from stem cells or progenitor cells that normally repair damage to the body, but that somehow become mutated and transform into cancer. In this case, Pajonk said the neural stem cell niche, called the periventricular region of the brain, may also be harboring stem cells that have transformed into brain cancer stem cells. However, the niche serves as a sort of safe harbor for the cancer stem cells, keeping them away from the site of the tumor but able to re-grow it once it’s removed and the malignant areas of the brain have been treated.




The radiation therapy could damage neural stem cells as well as the cancer stem cells, Pajonk said, but those may be replaceable at some future date using induced pluripotent stem cells made from the patient’s own cells. The induced pluripotent stem cells, which like embryonic stem cells can make every cell in the body, could be induced into becoming neural stem cells to replace those damaged or eradicated by the radiation to the niche.

The study was funded by National Cancer Institute.


34 thoughts on “Irradiating stem cell niche doubles survival in brain cancer patients”

  1. Agradesco si pueden darme inf del numero de telefono, y de como puedo contactar y el lugar de la Dra; Maria Ines Pinto, Mil gracias! pues yo vivo en USA y tengo un hijo con esquizofrenia, hojala y la Dra; Ta una esperanza para mi hijo y para mi, Saludos. Lilly

  2. Estoy muy interesada en el tratamiento para mi madre que está con diagnóstico de Alzheimer. Desde que le diagnosticaron la amnesia hace 2 años hemos tratado para que la enfermedad avance lentamente, Quisiera saber si existe una posibilidad de cura antes de que llegue a su última etapa. Gracias.

  3. Por favor me podria indicar la direccion de la Dra. Pinto pues tengo un familiar con distrofia muscular y quisiera que lo revisara.


    lenin O.

  4. hola, soy padre de una niña de 6 años con mielomeningocele a nivel lumbar deseo saber si mi ñiña seria candidata para este transplante de celulas madres, les agraceria por su informacion,

  5. Estimados necesitamos por favor nos ayuden con la dirección y teléfono de la Dra María Inés Pinto. Vimos el programa en 30 Plus y creemos que pueden ayudar a un bebé de 6 meses. Gracias por su gentil respuesta…

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