Gene expression of neurotrophic factors in human brain tumors

Expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) mRNA transcripts was studied in specimens from 10 human brain tumors and in normal brain. BDNF mRNA is a prevalent transcript in human frontal and temporal lobe cortex, and this transcript was expressed by all gliomas and meningiomas examined. In contrast to the prevalence of BDNF mRNA expression, NGF mRNA was expressed in three of the eight gliomas and one of the temporal lobe specimens but not by either of the meningiomas studied. These data suggest that neurotrophic factors may play a role in the growth of a variety of brain tumors.