Innovative Technologies in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology

At the present time pediatric neuro-oncology develops rapidly mostly due to the deep understanding of etiology and pathogenesis of the brain tumors in children, widespread introduction of molecular genetic technologies into diagnostic workflow and emergence of targeted therapeutic agents directing to the neoplastic cells. Many tumor entities undistinguishable at the level of histopathology were classified by the molecular techniques and now present as unique disorders. Clinical heterogeneity unraveled by molecular classification is a basis for modern risk stratification approaches. Variety of new tumor entities were discovered only because of implementation of advanced molecular diagnostics, which led to identification of the recurrent genetic aberration in neuroepithelial tumors with BCOR and PATZ1 genes alteration, intracranial mesenchymal tumors with FET-CREB rearrangements. The discovery of the targetable molecular drivers in gliomas allows the introduction of targeted therapies to the pediatric neuro-oncology with high results unreachable by other methods. In the current article we describe the experience of D. Rogachev National Medical Research Center in molecular diagnostics of pediatric brain tumors and targeted therapy in patients with different types of gliomas.