Approaches toward improving the prognosis of pediatric patients with glioma: pursuing mutant drug targets with emerging small molecules

Abstract

Gliomas represent approximately 70% of all pediatric brain tumors, and most of these are of astrocytic lineage; furthermore, malignant or high-grade astrocytomas account for approximately 20% of pediatric astrocytoma. Treatment options for pediatric patients with glioma are limited. Although low-grade astrocytomas are relatively slow-growing tumors that can often be cured through surgical resection, a significant proportion of cases recur, as such, new treatments are desperately needed. This review covers the various approaches that are currently being made toward improving the prognosis of pediatric patients with glioma by pursuing pediatric-selective mutant drug targets with emerging small molecules.