Molecular biology of central nervous system tumors.

Cell growth, cell migration, and angiogenesis are normal biologic processes hijacked by tumor cells to promote tumor proliferation, invasion, and neovascularity. Great strides have been made in characterizing the altered gene expression and acquired genetic mutations in central nervous system tumors. This review focuses on the known or implicated genetic alterations and their contribution to these biologic processes, with an emphasis on recent contributions to the field.