Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Institute of Vidimura, Catania, Italy
Research Article
Molecular Bases of Gliomagenesis and Gene Sequencing-Based Study of the 06-Methylguanine-DNA-Methyltransferase Promoter Methylation: Prognostic and Therapeutic Implications
Author(s): Giuseppe Raudino*, Giuseppe Umana, Federica Raudino, Valentina Lacognata, Rosario Lemmolo, Gaspare Francesco Montemagno, Gianluca Scalia and Sebastiano Cavallaro
Epigenetic mutations of some peculiar genic functions play a crucial role in gliomagenesis. One of the
most important in neurooncological pharmaco-epigenetics is represented by the MGMT promoter
methylation.
We evaluated the MGMT gene promoter methylation status by real-time PCR and sequencing of the
entire promoter. The samples from 25 patients, men and women with an average age of 55 years,
with intracranial tumors, were consecutively evaluated. By subsequent and definitive histological
typing, the patient distribution showed 11 patients with GBM, 3 with HGG, 3 with LGG and 8 with
brain metastases.
Analyzing the MGMT gene promoter methylation status of a non-homogeneous series of 25
consecutive patients, 5 patients had High-Grade Glioma (HGG) with unmethylated MGMT gene
promoter and 4 patients had glioblastoma with almost complete MGMT gene pr.. View More»