A research team from the University of Louisville in the United States has developed the world’s largest publicly available database of nervous system tumors, providing a crucial resource to accelerate brain tumor treatment research. The study, published in Neuro-Oncology, integrates genomic activity and clinical data from over 7,000 tumor samples.

Led by neurosurgeon Dr. Akshitkumar Mistry, the team utilized machine learning techniques to construct this comprehensive database. Dr. Mistry stated: “This tool enables researchers to quickly understand the genomic behavior of tumors and guide the direction of clinical trials.” The database particularly focuses on rare tumor types that have traditionally received less research attention.

Using the database, the research team has already identified new subtypes of rare tumors such as pheochromocytoma, which may respond to existing targeted therapies. Director of Pathology Eyas Hattab noted: “This research significantly improves the precision of nervous system tumor diagnosis.”

The database complements the latest tumor detection technologies adopted by the University of Louisville Health Center, providing more comprehensive molecular-level information for brain tumor treatment. The researchers indicated that the technical framework can also be applied to research on other rare diseases.