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The Molecular Landscape of Pediatric Brain Tumors in the Next-Generation Sequencing Era

  • Genetics (V Bonifati, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Pediatric brain tumors are a leading cause of cancer-related death in children. In recent years, the application of next-generation sequencing and other high-throughput technologies to analysis of pediatric brain tumors has generated an abundance of molecular information. This has provided an unprecedented understanding of their biology and is refining tumor classification into clinically relevant subgroups. In this review, we provide an overview of our evolving molecular knowledge of the commonest pediatric brain tumors, pilocytic astrocytomas, ependymomas, medulloblastomas, and pediatric glioblastomas, as well as the biological and potential clinical implications of this new knowledge. Studies aimed at investigating intratumoral heterogeneity are also discussed.

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Acknowledgments

Marlo R. Firme acknowledges the Genome Sciences and Technology program at the University of British Columbia. Marco A. Marra is a University of British Columbia Canada Research Chair in Genome Science and wishes to acknowledge the support of the Canada Research Chairs Program, the Terry Fox Research Institute, and the BC Cancer Foundation. The BC Cancer Agency Genome Sciences Centre gratefully acknowledges funding support from the BC Cancer Foundation, Genome Canada, Genome British Columbia, the Cancer Research Society, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada.

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Marlo R. Firme and Marco A. Marra declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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  1. Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer Research Centre, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1L3, Canada

    Marlo R. Firme & Marco A. Marra

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Correspondence to Marco A. Marra.

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Firme, M.R., Marra, M.A. The Molecular Landscape of Pediatric Brain Tumors in the Next-Generation Sequencing Era. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 14, 474 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-014-0474-4

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