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Medulloblastoma: “Onset of the molecular era”

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Abstract

Among brain tumors, Medulloblastoma (MB) is one of the most common, malignant, pediatric tumors of the cerebellum. It accounts for ~20% of all childhood central nervous system (CNS) tumors. Despite, tremendous advances in drug development processes, as well as novel drugs for MB the morbidity and mortality rates, remain high. Craniospinal radiation, high-dose chemotherapy, and surgical resection are the primary therapeutic strategies. Tremendous progress in the field of “genomics” with vast amounts of data has led to the identification of four distinct molecular subgroups in medulloblastoma: WNT group, SHH group, group-III, and group-IV. The identification of these subgroups has led to individualized treatment strategies for each subgroup. Here, we discuss the various molecular subgroups of medulloblastoma as well as the differences between them. We also highlight the latest treatment strategies available for medulloblastoma.

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Abbreviations

ATO :

Arsenic trioxide

BBB:

Blood-brain barrier

BRDi:

Bromo-domain inhibitors

CNS:

Central nervous system

CSF:

Cerebrospinal fluid

EGL :

External granule layer

GCP :

Granule cell precursors

HDACi:

Histone deacetylase inhibitors

MB:

Medulloblastoma

MBEN:

Medulloblastoma with extensive nodularity

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

PI3Ki:

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitors

SHH:

Sonic hedgehog

WHO:

World health organization

WNT:

Wingless

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA

    Pavan Kumar Dhanyamraju & Sinisa Dovat

  2. Department of Integrative Biology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India

    Trupti N. Patel

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  1. Pavan Kumar Dhanyamraju
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  3. Sinisa Dovat
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Conceptualization, manuscript original draft writing, editing PK, manuscript review T.P, S.D. All the authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Pavan Kumar Dhanyamraju.

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Dhanyamraju, P.K., Patel, T.N. & Dovat, S. Medulloblastoma: “Onset of the molecular era”. Mol Biol Rep 47, 9931–9937 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-020-05971-w

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