Genome variation profiling of Glioma Stem Cell lines

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and malignant type of glioma, is characterized by a poor prognosis and the lack of an effective treatment, which are due to a small sub-population of cells with stem-like properties, termed glioma stem cells (GSCs). The term “multiforme” describes the histological feature of this tumor, i.e. the cellular and morphological heterogeneity. At the molecular level multiple layers of alterations may reflect this heterogeneity providing together the driving force of tumor initiation and development. In order to decipher the common “signature” of the ancestral GSC population, we examined 5 already characterized GSC lines evaluating their copy number alterations using a genome-wide approach. Genomic DNA was isolated from 5 Glioma Stem Cell (GSC) lines. Each sample was labeled with Cy3 dye and then hybridized against the same commercial reference DNA labeled in Cy5.