Ontario, Feb. 4 -- Scientists at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) have discovered a way to prevent tumour growth in a subtype of medulloblastoma, the most prevalent children's malignant brain cancer.

Brain cancer presents a unique set of challenges for researchers because by the time a person develops symptoms, the tumours are sometimes so complicated that the fundamental mechanisms driving tumour growth are no longer easily identifiable. A research team led by Dr. Peter Dirks is aiming to overcome this obstacle for sonic hedgehog (SHH) medulloblastoma.

In a new study, the researchers identify that a protein is responsible for the waking up of 'sleeping' stem cells and driving SHH medulloblastoma tumour formation and regrowth. ...