The John Fulcher Molecular Neuro-oncology Laboratory for genetic and
epigenetic characterisation of High Grade Glioma
The BTRC research team, led by Dr Nelofer Syed, will use these dedicated facilities at Charing
Cross Hospital to create an innovative project:
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To create a research programme
Identify sub-types of Glioblastoma Multiforme by their expression of molecular pathways
Introduce anti-neoplastic drugs that are already available, into the treatment of GBMs
Translate the molecular and genetic results into Phase I trials
Effective treatment for malignant brain tumours still remains an elusive goal and new ways of
managing this disease are desperately needed. The team will use epigenetics to identify
pathways which are aberrantly activated in brain tumours and which may be amenable to
therapeutic exploitation.
Epigenetics is the study of changes in gene expression that occur without changes in the
structure of the gene itself and it has become one of the most active areas in cancer research
Initially, they will focus on the analysis of genes that are necessary for controlling the
metabolic pathways in gliomas. One such pathway is the glucose metabolic pathway. From
previous epigenetic profiling experiments, a number of genes have been identified that
regulate glucose metabolism, which are deregulated in brain tumours. My aim is to determine
if these can be used as potential markers in the curative treatment of gliomas thereby giving
patients renewed hope of overcoming the disease.