Analysis of Growth Regulatory Pathways in Human Neuro-Oncology

Considering the therapies which are available today for human gliomas, the most promising new developments are to be expected from advances in the understanding of glial cell biology together with the technical capacity to manipulate cells by biochemical or molecular biological means. Herein, the exploration of growth factor pathways that may be deregulated has provided new understanding of the disease as well as therapeutic perspectives. The concomitant expression of growth factor receptors and secretion of growth factors resulting in autocrine self-stimulation of cells, which is frequently found in oncology [1, 14], is also present in glial tumors and will be presented from the neuro-oncological aspect.