The Emerging Molecular Foundations of Pediatric Brain Tumors

Recent years have witnessed extensive molecular characterization of several pediatric brain tumor variants. These studies have dramatically shifted notions of disease classification and are likely to have similarly profound effects on patient management in the near future. In this review, we cover the molecular foundations of low-grade glial and glioneuronal neoplasms, high-grade glioma, ependymoma, and medulloblastoma, the details of which have only been recently elucidated in many cases. In doing so, we describe an array of biomarkers likely to play a major role in clinically relevant molecular stratification moving forward. We also discuss strategies for robust and efficient biomarker assessment in the clinical environment.