Dr. Suzanne Baker is Determining Drivers of Pediatric Brain Cancer to Inform the Development of Therapies

Dr. Suzanne Baker, Director of the Brain Tumor Research Division at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, elucidates biological mechanisms of pediatric diffuse midline gliomas, an aggressive, rare, and difficult to treat cancer of the brain or brainstem. 

As part of the collaborative Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, she helped identify a genetic alteration that plays a role in the development of pediatric gliomas. "This was a shocking finding at the time as there had never been a mutation in a histone [a protein that binds to DNA, giving it shape and regulating which genes are expressed] identified in human cancer before,” stated Dr. Baker. 

This discovery also revealed that unique histone mutations distinguish pediatric from adult gliomas. Dr. Baker explained that it led to updates  in the “World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System” and changed the way that clinical trials are designed for brain tumors. 

In addition to her genomic studies, Dr. Baker created a new experimental model to investigate how specific histone mutations contribute to the development and progression of pediatric brain tumors. Her research team generated this mouse model to advance the mechanistic understanding of pediatric brain tumors and enable the development of targeted therapies. They also showed that removing the mutant histone from patient tumor cells slowed or stopped growth of gliomas.

When discussing her glioma work, she also shared, “I'm always amazed by the many families that are involved in the research [for childhood cancer]. They are dedicated to making a difference and it really matters.” According to Dr. Baker, working together as a community (including researchers, patients, families, clinicians, survivors, advocates, etc.) drives the glioma field forward and leads to better treatments for children with brain tumors.     

From her perspective, “It’s a very exciting time for basic research in childhood cancer.” Dr. Baker further explained that the history of progress in pediatric diffuse midline gliomas is "a wonderful example of how fields of research can come together to bring new understanding to the fundamental principles of biology.”