Gaining ground on glioblastoma

Researchers in the Broad’s Epigenomics Program recently identified a key mechanism in glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive form of brain tumor. In a study published last week in Cell Reports, the team, which includes program director Brad Bernstein, revealed that certain regulatory proteins play a major role in the “self-renewing” cancer stem cells that drive glioblastoma growth. These same cancer stem cells also thought to contribute to glioblastoma’s high-rate of recurrence and therapeutic resistance.

In the video below, Bernstein explains how the epigenome controls the way our DNA is expressed, and the role it may play in cancer development. This is our inaugural Broad View video – a new series in which top Broad scientists break down "big picture" concepts.