A collection of cellular models and associated data to underpin the next era of studies into the biology and treatment of glioma. Image Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive form of adult brain cancer and is a strategic priority for Edinburgh Cancer Research. Recurrent genetic and epigenetic perturbations in glioma have now been fully catalogued, but research has been hampered by a lack of open-access and well-annotated patient-derived preclinical models. These will be vital to identify critical therapeutic targets and for use in drug discovery and development.Cancer Research UK has invested £3.4m in the University of Edinburgh and UCL to enable the generation of these missing research tools and data. Patient-derived glioblastoma cell lines, as well as normal control neural stem cell lines, can be routinely derived in the laboratory and are readily manipulated using CRISPR-based genome editing. Edinburgh has world class expertise in this area.Our scientists, led by Prof Steven Pollard in Edinburgh, are generating a comprehensive collection of glioblastoma cell lines, control human neural stem cell lines and engineered cell lines with sophisticated genetic and epigenetic disruptions, as well as knock-in reporters for live cell/tumour imaging. These cell lines, and their associated deep molecular annotation (epigenome, transciptome and genome), are available to the global research community through an integrated, open-access Glioma Cellular Genetics Resource (GCGR) web portal.The GCGR provides much-needed tools to accelerate innovative new science, stimulate UK and international collaborations and support discovery of new therapeutics for glioblastoma. This article was published on 2024-09-23
