Maternal obesogenic diet operates at the tumor cell of origin to increase incidence and decrease latency of neurofibromatosis type 1 optic pathway glioma

Pediatric low-grade glioma incidence has been rising in the United States, mirroring the rising rates of pediatric and maternal obesity. Recently, children of obese mothers were demonstrated to develop brain tumors at higher rates. Importantly, obesity in the United States is largely driven by diet, given the prevalence of high-fat and high-sugar (HFHS) food choices. Since high-fat diet exposure can increase embryonic neuroglial progenitor cell (NPC) proliferation, the potential cells of origin for a low-grade glioma, we hypothesized that in utero exposure to an obesogenic diet would modify pediatric brain penetrance and latency by affecting the tumor cell of origin.