The Challenges of Glioblastoma
Our clients are leveraging single-cell sequencing technology to answer the most challenging unsolved biomedical problems. These cover a range of therapeutic areas, from fatty liver disease to cancer. Cancer research is one of the fastest-growing applications of genomic and precision medicine. One of the deadliest and most common types of brain cancer is glioblastoma, but it is notoriously difficult to treat.
What makes glioblastoma such a challenging cancer to treat? One, the tumors can be highly heterogeneous, meaning precision therapies targeting certain mutations will only eliminate a subpopulation of cells in the tumor. Secondly, they have unique plasticity and have high levels of tumor recurrence after environmental or treatment-induced stress.
High Throughput scRNA-seq Uncovers a New Protein Target
For these highly complex cancer types, researchers are employing next-generation sequencing and analysis tools to uncover new therapeutic targets. A recent study in Nature Communications harnessed the power of scRNA-seq to identify a new regulatory protein, P300, that appears to play a role in the ability of glioma stem cells to rebound from radiation therapy.
The protein is a histone acetyltransferase, meaning it alters the accessibility of DNA. The authors found that blocking P300 reverses some of the cellular changes caused by radiation therapy that allows cancerous cells to evade damage from the treatment. This suggests a new therapeutic approach to prevent glioblastoma tumor recurrence.
Outsourcing Bioinformatic Analyses
This study highlights the importance of high-quality data analysis pipelines for turning sequencing data into actionable biological insights. If the tools and pipelines you need aren’t performing, or don’t exist, consider reaching out to bioinformatics as a service (BaaS) provider like Bridge Informatics. Skilled computational scientists with bench experience and biological knowledge to understand your project are what set Bridge Informatics apart from other BaaS providers. Book a free discovery call with us today to see if we can meet your data analysis and pipeline development needs.
Jane Cook, Biochemist & Content Writer, Bridge Informatics
Jane has a B.A. in Biochemistry and a passion for bioinformatics and genomic medicine which she uses as a Content Writer at Bridge Informatics, a professional services firm that helps biotech customers implement advanced techniques in the management and analysis of genomic data. Bridge Informatics focuses on data mining, machine learning, and various bioinformatic techniques to discover biomarkers and companion diagnostics. If you’re interested in reaching out, please email [email protected] or [email protected].
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