Genetic alterations of brain tumors.

Abstract

Genetic alterations of brain tumors were first detected in bilateral schwannomas (central neurofibromatosis Type II, NF 2) and sporadic vestibular schwannomas (acoustic neuromas). These hereditary tumors, which produce similar clinical syndromes due to the manifestation at the cerebellopontine angle, can be clearly distinguished by their different patterns of genetic changes [1-3]. At a later stage, the investigation of genetic alterations focussed upon neuroepithelial tumors. In particular, the controversial issue whether glioblastomas arise from either previously low grade astrocytomas, or de novo, or whether exist other developmental pathways, was assessed using different histological grades of astrocytic tumors as putative models for malignant tumor progression. In the following, investigations of brain tumor related genes, which provided several insights into modes of tumorigenesis and progression, are briefly reviewed. The importance of gene mapping is demonstrated by giving examples of advances that resulted from the knowledge of chromosome location of the genes involved.