title: Evolving molecular era of childhood medulloblastoma: time to revisit therapy.
abstract: Currently medulloblastoma is treated with a uniform therapeutic approach based on histopathology and clinico-radiological risk stratification, resulting in unpredictable treatment failure and relapses. Improved understanding of the biological, molecular and genetic make-up of these tumors now clearly identifies it as a compendium of four distinct subtypes (WNT, SHH, group 3 and 4). Advances in utilization of the genomic and epigenomic machinery have now delineated genetic aberrations and epigenetic perturbations in each subgroup as potential druggable targets. This has resulted in endeavors to profile targeted therapy. The challenge and future of medulloblastoma therapeutics will be to keep pace with the evolving novel biological insights and translating them into optimal targeted treatment regimens.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neuro-Oncology, Children's Cancer Hospital, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Unit 87, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Soumen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khatua
mesh_terms: D057890:Epigenomics; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; C509239:SHH protein, human; D051153:Wnt Proteins
keywords: epigenomic profile; medulloblastoma; molecular subtypes; signaling pathways; targeted therapy; therapeutic resistance