Erik Uhlmann, MD; Anna Krichevsky, PhD

This project investigates key microRNA targets for possible meningioma treatments. The high prevalence of meningioma translates to high burden of disease with significant impact on quality of life. Initial treatment may consist of surgery, if technically feasible and medically tolerated. However, surgery alone rarelyremoves all tumor tissue, owing to its extension along the meninges. For patients with recurrent disease, or at high risk of recurrence, there is a need for targeted medical therapy, presently unavailable. This team hypothesizes that microRNAs are critical growth regulators of meningioma cells, and altered microRNA expression in a specific pattern is a key step in meningioma progression. They propose to determine the microRNA expression profiles of grade I and grade II meningiomas, and to identify the differentially expressed microRNAs. These candidate microRNAs will then be tested for their effect on cell growth and meningioma formation. Simply, microRNAs may be effective therapeutic targets for the treatment of meningiomas.