Cancer

Patient sample and mouse studies suggest inhibiting Notch 1 could help treat metastatic medulloblastoma. In primary tumor samples from medulloblastoma patients, levels of Notch 1 were higher in patients with metastases than in patients without metastases. In a xenograft mouse model of metastatic medulloblastoma, shRNA-mediated knockdown of Notch 1 in medulloblastoma cells or an anti-Notch 1 antibody decreased spinal metastasis and increased survival compared with normal Notch 1 expression or vehicle, respectively. Next steps could include identifying and testing small molecule Notch 1 inhibitors in models of metastatic medulloblastoma...