New directions in molecular diagnostics and therapy of vestibular schwannomas

The molecular basis for the formation and growth of vestibular schwannomas (VS) has been elucidated in the recent years. The main genetic and epigenetic aberrations, changes in gene expression and specific signaling pathways involved in pathogenesis of sporadic VS and neurofibromatosis type II (NF2) have been defined. These findings facilitated the search for prognostic markers in VS and potential targets for biological therapy. This publication summarizes the main directions of research in the field of molecular diagnostics and pharmacotherapy of VS based on biological agents.