Targets for therapy in ependymoma.

Ependymomas are among the rarest type of glioma and display significant heterogeneity based on patient age and tumor location. Treatment strategies include surgery and radiation, but the use of chemotherapy remains more controversial. Chemotherapy has been widely utilized in the pediatric population due to more aggressive disease in this cohort, and has become of interest in the adult population as well. Unfortunately, relapses are common, and responses to cytotoxic chemotherapy are often disappointing. As a result, attention has turned to specific targets in the pathogenesis of ependymoma. This paper summarizes the current understanding of promising molecular pathways and targets under study for future application in ependymoma.