Abstract: A method of treating a medulloblastoma in a mammal is provided comprising administering to the mammal a compound having the following general formula (1): wherein X is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl (—OH), halogen, thio (—SH), sulfanyl (—SR), sulfinyl (—SOR), sulfonyl (—SO2R), carboxyl (—COOH), carbonyl (COOR), nitro (—NO2), nitroso (—NOR), amino (NH2), NHR, NRR1, cyano (—CN) and isocyano (—NC), wherein R and R1 are independently C1-C5 branched or unbranched lower alkyl; and Y is a 5- or 6-membered unsaturated ring, optionally substituted, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

Abstract: A method of treating a medulloblastoma in a mammal is provided comprising administering to the mammal a compound having the following general formula (1): wherein X is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl (—OH), halogen, thio (—SH), sulfanyl (—SR), sulfinyl (—SOR), sulfonyl (—SO2R), carboxyl (—COOH), carbonyl (COOR), nitro (—NO2), nitroso (—NOR), amino (NH2), NHR, NRR1, cyano (—CN) and isocyano (—NC), wherein R and R1 are independently C 1-05 branched or unbranched lower alkyl; and Y is a 5- or 6-membered unsaturated ring, optionally substituted, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to the identification of the SUFU (supressor of fused) gene as a tumor suppressor gene and the identification of mutations of the SUFU gene that are associated with the development of cancer, particularly medulloblastoma. The invention provides methods for determining a diagnosis, prognosis or risk of a tumor pathology in a subject involving a SUFU gene mutation, where the method comprises detecting a SUFU gene mutation in DNA from a subject. The SUFU gene comprises exons 1 through 12 and the mutation is associated with the tumor pathology.