We used massively parallel, paired-end sequencing of expressed transcripts (RNA-seq) to detect novel gene fusions in short-term cultures of glioma stem-like cells freshly isolated from nine patients carrying primary glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The culture of primary GBM tumors under serum-free conditions selects cells that retain phenotypes and genotypes closely mirroring primary tumor profiles as compared to serum-cultured glioma cell lines that have largely lost their developmental identities.

We used massively parallel, paired-end sequencing of expressed transcripts (RNA-seq) to detect novel gene fusions in short-term cultures of glioma stem-like cells freshly isolated from nine patients carrying primary glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The culture of primary GBM tumors under serum-free conditions selects cells that retain phenotypes and genotypes closely mirroring primary tumor profiles as compared to serum-cultured glioma cell lines that have largely lost their developmental identities.