RNA-based therapy shows promise against aggressive childhood brain tumors in mice

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have found that targeting a non-encoding stretch of RNA may help shrink tumors caused by an aggressive type of brain cancer in children. A previous study showed that a long noncoding stretch of RNA contributes to the growth of brain tumors by attaching to a piece of DNA that increases expression of cancer-causing genes. In this study, the researchers developed an intravenous treatment that uses cerium oxide nanoparticles and that ultimately blocks the noncoding stretch of RNA from binding to the piece of DNA to stop the resulting cascade of cancer-gene expression.