[Molecular biology of adult gliomas: some landmarks for neurosurgeons].
OBJECTIVE
Recent developments in molecular biology have provided the clinician with opportunities to investigate a number of new biomarkers. This has led to an abundant literature reporting the biological role, the relation to survival, and the predictive value of treatment responses in adult glioma patients. Consequently, the clinician must assimilate a large amount of information, raising the question of the genuine role of these biomarkers in the daily care of these patients.


METHODS
The authors report the data on biomarkers from the literature relevant to this context.


CONCLUSIONS
Molecular biology today sheds new and valuable light on the natural history of adult glioma, bringing to the forefront a number of therapeutic principles for glioma patients as a group. However, each of these biomarkers does not have sufficient power to amount to a criterion for individual patient therapeutics.


CONCLUSIONS
Biomarkers are not pertinent today for decision making, but the authors believe that the principle of including this approach in adult glioma workups must be encouraged as a promising means of study in the years to come.
Wager
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M
Service de neurochirurgie, tour Jean-Bernard, CHU de Poitiers, 2, rue de la Miletrie, B.P. 577, 86021 Poitiers cedex, France. m.wager@chu-poitiers.fr
Fontaine
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Karayan-Tapon
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D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D018773:Genes, erbB-1 / Q000235:genetics; D016158:Genes, p53 / Q000235:genetics; D005819:Genetic Markers; D005910:Glioma / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D009493:Neurosurgery; D009857:Oncogenes / Q000235:genetics*; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase / Q000235:genetics
D005819:Genetic Markers; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; C494929:PTEN protein, human