- Visvanathan, Abhirami;
- Saulnier, Olivier;
- Chen, Chuan;
- Haldipur, Parthiv;
- Orisme, Wilda;
- Delaidelli, Alberto;
- Shin, Seungmin;
- Millman, Jake;
- Bryant, Andrew;
- Abeysundara, Namal;
- Wu, Xujia;
- Hendrikse, Liam;
- Patil, Vikas;
- Bashardanesh, Zahedeh;
- Golser, Joseph;
- Livingston, Bryn;
- Nakashima, Takuma;
- Funakoshi, Yusuke;
- Ong, Winnie;
- Rasnitsyn, Alexandra;
- Aldinger, Kimberly;
- Richman, Cory;
- Van Ommeren, Randy;
- Lee, John;
- Ly, Michelle;
- Vladoiu, Maria;
- Kharas, Kaitlin;
- Balin, Polina;
- Erickson, Anders;
- Fong, Vernon;
- Zhang, Jiao;
- Suárez, Raúl;
- Wang, Hao;
- Huang, Ning;
- Pallota, Jonelle;
- Douglas, Tajana;
- Haapasalo, Joonas;
- Razavi, Ferechte;
- Silvestri, Evelina;
- Sirbu, Olga;
- Worme, Samantha;
- Kameda-Smith, Michelle;
- Wu, Xiaochong;
- Daniels, Craig;
- MichaelRaj, Antony;
- Bhaduri, Aparna;
- Schramek, Daniel;
- Suzuki, Hiromichi;
- Garzia, Livia;
- Ahmed, Nabil;
- Kleinman, Claudia;
- Stein, Lincoln;
- Dirks, Peter;
- Dunham, Christopher;
- Jabado, Nada;
- Rich, Jeremy;
- Li, Wei;
- Sorensen, Poul;
- Wechsler-Reya, Robert;
- Weiss, William;
- Millen, Kathleen;
- Ellison, David;
- Dimitrov, Dimiter;
- Taylor, Michael
We identify a population of Protogenin-positive (PRTG+ve) MYChigh NESTINlow stem cells in the four-week-old human embryonic hindbrain that subsequently localizes to the ventricular zone of the rhombic lip (RLVZ). Oncogenic transformation of early Prtg+ve rhombic lip stem cells initiates group 3 medulloblastoma (Gr3-MB)-like tumors. PRTG+ve stem cells grow adjacent to a human-specific interposed vascular plexus in the RLVZ, a phenotype that is recapitulated in Gr3-MB but not in other types of medulloblastoma. Co-culture of Gr3-MB with endothelial cells promotes tumor stem cell growth, with the endothelial cells adopting an immature phenotype. Targeting the PRTGhigh compartment of Gr3-MB in vivo using either the diphtheria toxin system or chimeric antigen receptor T cells constitutes effective therapy. Human Gr3-MBs likely arise from early embryonic RLVZ PRTG+ve stem cells inhabiting a specific perivascular niche. Targeting the PRTGhigh compartment and/or the perivascular niche represents an approach to treat children with Gr3-MB.