2 INDEPENDENT AMPLIFICATION EVENTS ON CHROMOSOME-7 IN GLIOMA - AMPLIFICATION OF THE EPIDERMAL GROWTH-FACTOR RECEPTOR GENE AND AMPLIFICATIONOF THE ONCOGENE MET

Amplifications of cellular oncogenes and growth factor genes have prev iously been, reported in gliomas. Here we have evaluated 21 gliomas fo r amplification of tumor related genes including NMYC, EGFR, TGFalpha, MET, CMYC, SRC, HRAS, NRAS, SEC, ROS1, JUN, and WNT1. Five amplificat ions were observed. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene w as amplified in 4 glioblastomas. The oncogene MET was amplified in a g lioblastoma which showed no EGFR gene amplification. Importantly, both genes are located on chromosome 7 and belong to a family with tyrosin e kinase activity. There was no amplification found for TGFalpha which was previously reported to be amplified in gliomas. The finding of ME T and EGFR independently amplified in glioma lends further support to a crucial role of chromosome 7 in the development of gliomas.