Meningiomas are the most frequent human intracranial tumors and are classified into three histological grades. Although the overwhelming majority of meningiomas are benign meningiomas of WHO grade I, there is a subgroup of meningiomas among these apparently histological benign meningiomas, that tend to recurr and is associated with a worse prognosis. To date, this clinically high relevant subgroup of recurrent meningioma cannot be differentiated from non-recurrent meningiomas by either morphological characteristics or molecular genetic features. With the proposed project, we aim at contributing novel molecular genetic features to identify this highly relevant subgroup of meningiomas. The following questions should be answered in particular: a) Are there molecular genetic features that differentiate recurrent from non-recurrent meningiomas? b) Are there molecular genetic features, that are especially present in the recurrent tumors? c) Which signaling and metabolic pathways are targeted by these features? d) What is the physiological function of these features in the cell? With the proposed project we aim to contribute to the understanding of recurrence in meningioma and to the identification of features essential for meningioma progression.
DFG Programme
Research Grants
