Role of the neurofibromatosis type 2 gene in the development of tumors of the nervous system.

Germ line and somatic mutations in the neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2) tumor suppressor gene predispose individuals to tumors of the nervous system, including schwannomas and meningiomas. Since identification of the NF2 gene more than a decade ago, a large body of information has been collected on the nature and consequences of these alterations in patients with NF2 and in individuals in whom sporadic tumors associated with NF2 develop. The catalog of mutations identified thus far has facilitated extensive genetic analysis, including studies of patients with mosaicism and phenotype-genotype correlations, and has also led to experiments that have begun to unravel the molecular biology of the NF2 gene and its role in tumorigenesis. The authors describe some of the most significant findings in NF2 genetics and biology over the last decade.