Affymetrix SNP array data for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is one of the most devastating of paediatric malignancies and one for which no effective therapy exists. A major contributor to the failure of therapeutic trials is the assumption that biologic properties of brainstem tumours in children are identical to cerebral high-grade gliomas of adults. A better understanding of the biology of DIPG itself is needed in order to develop agents targeted more specifically to these children’s disease. Here we address this lack of knowledge by performing the first high-resolution SNP-based DNA microarray analysis of a series of DIPGs. Eleven samples (nine post-mortem and two pre-treatment surgical samples), the largest series thus far examined, were hybridized to Affymetrix SNP arrays (250k or 6.0). The study was approved by the Research Ethics Board at our institution (Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada). All Array findings were validated using quantitative-PCR, fluorescence in-situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry and/or microsatellite analysis. Analysis of DIPG copy number alterations showed recurrent changes distinct from those of paediatric supratentorial high-grade astrocytomas. 36% of DIPGs had gains in PDGFRA and all showed PDGF-R-α expression. Gains in PARP-1 were identified in 3 cases. Pathway analysis revealed genes with loss of heterozygosity were enriched for DNA repair pathways. Our data provides the first, comprehensive high-resolution genomic analysis of paediatric DIPG. Our findings of recurrent involvement of the PDGFR pathway as well as defects in DNA repair pathways coupled with gain of PARP-1 highlight two potential, biologically-based, therapeutic targets directed specifically at this devastating disease. Affymetrix SNP arrays were performed according to the manufacturer's directions on DNA extracted from snap frozen biopsy and autopsy brain tissue from DIPG patients. Copy number analysis of Affymetrix 250K and 6.0 SNP arrays was performed for 11 paediatric DIPG samples, 7 matched normal brain samples, and HapMap samples.