Credit: Robert McKinstry/Washington University
A brain scan of a neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) patient reveals a tumor on the optic nerve connecting the left eye to the brain (right side of the image). Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered that an FDA-approved epilepsy drug can prevent or slow the growth of NF1-linked optic gliomas in mice, laying the groundwork for a clinical trial.