Brain tumour research advances through cell signalling studies and LITT surgery

Recent developments in brain tumour research highlight both fundamental scientific inquiry and promising surgical advancements. Julie Gavard, a Research Director at CNRS within CRCI2NA, is focusing her work on glioblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumour in adults. Her research team, ‘Signalling in Oncogenesis, Angiogenesis and Permeability’, investigates cell signalling to understand how tumour cells communicate, how they develop, and why they become aggressive or reappear.

In clinical applications, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by neurosurgeon Eric C. Leuthardt of the Siteman Cancer Center examines the efficacy of Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT). Analyzing data from 787 patients treated across 25 US hospital centers between 2015 and 2023, the study suggests that LITT serves as an effective tool for cytoreduction in both primary glioblastomas and brain metastases. The technique is noted for allowing shorter hospital stays, low complication rates, and the preservation of functional status.