Mouse modeling of pediatric glioma, MYCN reveals intratumoral heterogeneity including neuronal and oligodendroglial lineage signatures [EPIC Beadchip]

Pediatric glioma of the subclass MYCN are highly aggressive tumors frequently carrying MYCN amplifications, TP53 mutations, or both alterations. In order to understand the biology of these tumors better and to improve treatment options, we generated a genetically engineered model by breeding hGFAP-cre::TP53Fl/Fl::lsl-MYCN mice. All such mice developed aggressive forebrain tumors early in lifetime that mimic their human counterparts regarding histology, DNA methylation, and gene expression. The DNA of five HGG-MYCN tumors was extracted from FFPE samples after histological assessment and analyzed by the EPIC methylation array (Illumina).