Category: Uncategorized
Dr. Maloney Awarded IDDRC Pilot Grant to Study Social Behavior Deficits in Mice (Links to an external site)
Major Biomarker Project to Help Identify Cancer Predisposition in NF1 Patients (Links to an external site)
NF Center 2022 Annual Report Published (Links to an external site)
NF Center Researchers Use Novel Treatment for Brain Tumors (Links to an external site)
FuNFest and Forward Strides 2022 (Links to an external site)
NF Center Investigators Review Current NF Clinical Trials (Links to an external site)
Dr. Brossier Welcomes Two New Laboratory Members (Links to an external site)
NF Center Researchers Report a Breakthrough in Pediatric Brain Tumor Modeling (Links to an external site)
Adeoye, Guilak, Gutmann, Kipnis elected to National Academy of Medicine (Links to an external site)
NF Center Researcher Reports Seizure Control in a Child with NF1 (Links to an external site)
The Gutmann Laboratory Welcomes Two New Post-Baccalaureate Trainees (Links to an external site)
Gutmann Awarded New Grant To Study The Immunology of Brain Tumors (Links to an external site)
Gilbert Family Foundation Launches NF1 Brain Tumor Initiative (Links to an external site)
Are NF1 mutations the same in NF1 and sporadic cancers? (Links to an external site)
ALSF Researcher Spotlight: Nicole Brossier, MD/PhD (Links to an external site)
NF Center Undergraduate Explores Predictors of Patient Return (Links to an external site)
Epilepsy drug stops nervous system tumor growth in mice (Links to an external site)
Gilbert Family Foundation Awards New Vision Restoration Initiative Grants (Links to an external site)
NF Center Researchers Team Up With Stanford Neuroscientists To Study How Nerves Fire Up Cancer (Links to an external site)
Gutmann inducted into the Association of American Physicians (Links to an external site)
Meet Madeline Scherr (Links to an external site)
Maddy joined us in March 2022 as our new Washington University Neurofibromatosis (NF) Center Pediatric Occupational Therapist and NF Center Coordinator.
Autism Acceptance Month: Promoting Understanding (Links to an external site)
NF Center Scholar Receives ALSF Summer Fellowship Award (Links to an external site)
NF Center Researcher Awarded Department of Defense Grant (Links to an external site)
Targeting the Immune System Blocks Optic Glioma Formation in Mice (Links to an external site)
Advanced Informatic Methods Reveal New Insights in Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (Links to an external site)
Washington University Hope Center Funds New Collaborative Grant on Brain Injury (Links to an external site)
NFunFest Fundraiser for Washington University NF Center A Rousing Success (Links to an external site)
Dr. Corina Anastasaki Promoted to Assistant Professor (Links to an external site)
Asthma may reduce risk of brain tumors — but how? (Links to an external site)
International Virtual NF Tumor Board Launched (Links to an external site)
The Washington University NF Center in collaboration with Dr. Mohamed Abdelbaki in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology has initiated a virtual International Tumor Board to discuss the management of children and adults with NF. For these quarterly meetings, we leverage the expertise of dedicated specialists in the NF Center, including those in Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery, Adult and […]
New Autism Gene Discovered Using Human Mini-Brains (Links to an external site)
Neurodevelopmental disorders are often caused by losses of large pieces of chromosomes containing many genes. This is also true for a subset of individuals with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) who have severe developmental delays and intellectual disabilities. These NF1 patients often harbor a large deletion involving the NF1 gene on chromosome 17q11.2, termed a total […]
New Autism Gene Discovered Using Human Mini-Brains
Neurodevelopmental disorders are often caused by losses of large pieces of chromosomes containing many genes. This is also true for a subset of individuals with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) who have severe developmental delays and intellectual disabilities. These NF1 patients often harbor a large deletion involving the NF1 gene on chromosome 17q11.2, termed a total gene deletion […]
Brain tumors caused by normal neuron activity in mice predisposed to such tumors (Links to an external site)
Light triggers formation, feeds growth of optic nerve tumors Seeing, hearing, thinking, daydreaming — doing anything at all, in fact — activates neurons in the brain. But for people predisposed to developing brain tumors, the ordinary buzzing of their brains could be a problem. A study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in […]
Brain tumors caused by normal neuron activity in mice predisposed to such tumors
Light triggers formation, feeds growth of optic nerve tumors Seeing, hearing, thinking, daydreaming — doing anything at all, in fact — activates neurons in the brain. But for people predisposed to developing brain tumors, the ordinary buzzing of their brains could be a problem. A study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in […]
NF Center Researchers Identify a Universal Change in MPSNT (Links to an external site)
Dr. Angela Hirbe led a multi-investigator research effort to generate a large collection of patient-derived tumor lines from NF1 patients with the most deadly NF1-associated cancer – malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs). These human cancer lines were developed from actual human tumors in order to identify the genetic changes that cause these tumors. This […]
NF Center and Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF) Synodos Team Publish Landmark Genomic Study of NF1 Brain Tumors (Links to an external site)
Dr. Michael Fisher at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Dr. David Gutmann from the Washington University NF Center spearheaded an internal consortium effort to define the genetics of low-grade brain tumors in children with NF1. In their study, involving 25 centers worldwide, they characterized the genetic changes seen in these tumors, and analyzed the importance […]
Star NF Center Student Graduates (Links to an external site)
Anna Wilson graduated summa cum laude from Washington University and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Anna completed her honor thesis work in the laboratory of Dr. David Gutmann where she studied sex differences in neurons in mice with a genetic mutation in the neurofibromatosis type 1 gene. Following graduation, Anna will return […]
Gutmann Laboratory Receives A Grant From Ian’s Friends Foundation (Links to an external site)
The Gutmann laboratory recently was awarded a grant from Ian’s Friends Foundation (IFF) to develop better models of human NF1 low-grade brain tumors (gliomas). In their proposal, this team will be investigating what cells and signals allow human pediatric gliomas to grow in the mouse brain, eliminating a major barrier to the development and deployment […]
NF Clinical Trials Consortium Reports Vision Stabilization Following Everolimus Therapy (Links to an external site)
The NF Clinical Trials Consortium recently published a study examining vision in children with NF1 and optic pathway gliomas (OPGs) following treatment with Everolimus. Leveraging preclinical studies from the Gutmann laboratory demonstrating that mouse Nf1 optic glioma growth is controlled by activated RAS operating through the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein. Everolimus is an […]
NF Clinical Trials Consortium Study Reveals New Vision Problems in Children with NF1 Optic Gliomas (Links to an external site)
As part of the NF Clinical Trials Consortium study on vision function after treatment for NF1-optic glioma, lead author, Dr. Gena Heidary, discovered additional vision deficits in children. While most clinical trials focus on visual acuity, the ability to read numbers or letters at a distance, this new study found that children also have problems […]
NF Clinical Trials Consortium Identifies a New Therapy for Plexiform Neurofibromas (Links to an external site)
A recent study spearheaded by Dr. Michael Fisher at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Dr. D. Wade Clapp at Indiana University found that cabozantinib as an effective therapy for NF1-associated plexiform neurofibromas. Using a preclinical mouse model of plexiform neurofibromas, this team showed cabozantinib was effective at reducing mouse tumors. Leveraging these exciting findings, they […]
Ji-Kang Chen Joins the Gutmann Laboratory (Links to an external site)
Ji-Kang Chen, MS recently joined the research laboratory of NF Center Director, David H. Gutmann, MD, PhD, as a Research Technician. He completed his master’s degree at Taiwan National Yang-Ming University, where he studied how hippocampal nerve cell (neuron) work in the brain. Bringing his expertise in neuron biology to the Gutmann laboratory, Ji-Kang is […]
First Human Models of NF1-Associated Neurofibromas Developed by NF Center Collaborative Team (Links to an external site)
The most common tumor in children and adults with NF1 is the neurofibroma, a peripheral nerve sheath tumor composed of Schwann-like cells. While mouse models of plexiform neurofibromas have been developed, Dr. Lu Le, Professor of Dermatology at the University of Texas-Southwestern joined forces with Drs. Corina Anastasaki and David Gutmann to develop a human […]
Gutmann Receives Neuro-oncology Scientific Award (Links to an external site)
David H. Gutmann, MD, PhD, the Donald O. Schnuck Family Professor and Vice Chair for Research affairs in the Department of Neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is a recipient of the 2020 Neuro-oncology Scientific Award from the American Academy of Neurology. The award recognizes singular scientific achievement that has advanced […]
Andrea Goldstein Joins the Gutmann Laboratory (Links to an external site)
Andrea Goldstein, BS recently joined the research laboratory of NF Center director, David H. Gutmann, MD, PhD, as a Research Technician. She completed medical school at the University of MIssouri in Columbia, and is currently applying to residency programs in Obstetrics/Gynecology. Her prior laboratory experience includes work in the laboratory of Michelle Monje MD, PhD […]
NF Center Trainee Publishes Groundbreaking Study on the Origins of NF1 Optic Gliomas (Links to an external site)
Dr. Nicole Brossier, Instructor in the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, recently reported that numerous factors explain why children with NF1 develop optic gliomas. In her study, Dr. Brossier, who is a pediatric neuro-oncologist specializing in the care of children with NF1-associated brain tumors, showed that the cells which […]
Alexander Chen awarded Training Grant from the Center of Regenerative Medicine (Links to an external site)
Alexander Chen, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Gutmann Laboratory, was recently awarded a “Training in Regenerative Medicine” training grant (T32) from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. This program aims to develop highly-trained individuals by providing a unique, multidisciplinary experience for postdoctoral fellows. Dr. Chen is honored and privileged to be one […]
Kyra Rosen Joins the NF Center (Links to an external site)
The NF Center recently welcomed a new undergraduate student, Kyra Rosen, to the team. Kyra studies philosophy and art history at Washington University in St. Louis, and is pursuing a career in medicine and public health. In the NF Center, she will be researching access to healthcare services for those with NF.