Abstract 3002: Identification of frequently altered protein networks in ependymomas

Ependymomas are glial tumors that originate from the walls of the cerebral ventricles or from the spinal canal. The five-year survival for intracranial ependymomas in children is approximately 65%. Ependymomas exhibit a wide range of DNA copy number alterations that vary greatly in size and location. We hypothesize that an underlying protein network exists that is consistently compromised by such DNA copy number alterations in ependymomas. In this study, we analyzed an array-comparative genomic hybridization dataset generated by Johnson and colleagues [Nature 466(7306):632-6, 2010] to determine whether a protein interaction network could be identified that might be consistently functionally compromised in pediatric ependymomas. This cohort of 203 primary ependymomas consisted of 106 posterior fossa, 56 supratentorial, and 41 spinal ependymomas. The genes within each altered region were used to perform network analyses with GeneGo and Ingenuity to uncover protein networks that were altered in a significant number of tumors. For calculation of statistical significance, 100,000 samplings of randomly selected regions - equal in gene number to the regions of gain or loss - were performed. Indeed, some protein networks were found to be over-represented in the structural alterations exhibited by this cohort (p Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3002. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3002