Molecular Proteomic Characterization of a Pediatric Medulloblastoma Xenograft.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIM: Medulloblastoma (MBL), an archetypal primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the cerebellum, is the most common pediatric central nervous system malignancy representing approximately 20% of all childhood brain tumors. Herein, we report on a new xenotransplantable tumor cell line, derived from a 6-year-old female patient with cerebellar medulloblastoma, and the completele proteome molecular characterization of subsequent tumors from MBL xenotrasplanted mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tumors were grown in nude mice as subcutaneous xenografts (MBLX) composed of small round cells with hyperchromatic nuclei and scant cytoplasm. Tumor specimen were extracted from animals upon their sacrifice and their molecular proteomic content was analyzed by 2-DE coupled to MALDI-TOF MS analysis. RESULTS: Altogether 350 single-gene products were identified through the current approach, reported as the MBLX database. CONCLUSION: This new xenotransplantable tumor model, offers the scientific community valuable insight on the validity of xenografts altogether, while providing the means for a novel experimental model towards the study of human MBL.