Understanding regulation of cell growth in childhood brain tumors.

Advances in the treatment of childhood cancer have come at a remarkable pace, but the search for new treatment strategies remains an urgent one. Brain tumors, the most common childhood solid tumor, are second only to leukemias in overall incidence. In order to develop treatments that improve survival while preserving quality of life for children with brain tumors, a better understanding of brain tumor biology is needed. Tremendous progress has been made in the past several years in the understanding of the machinery of the cell division cycle. This chapter reviews recent insights into the mechanisms controlling cell growth in pediatric brain tumors.