Molecular genetics and diversity of choroid plexus tumors

Choroid plexus tumors are rare intraventricular brain tumors predominantly arising in children but also affecting adults. Chromosome-wide copy-number alterations and TP53 mutations do occur, but in most choroid plexus tumors, driver mutations have not been identified. Here we give a brief overview of the histopathological and clinical diversity of choroid plexus tumors and their genetic and epigenetic heterogeneity. Preliminary data indicate that choroid plexus carcinomas comprise at least 2 epigenetic subgroups, one of which is associated with TP53 mutation status. These findings strongly encourage us to further investigate the genetic and epigenetic heterogeneity in a larger cohort and to align molecular subgroup status with clinical annotations, in order to identify prognostic markers that may also aid stratification within future international trials.