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Bookland et al. J Cancer Metastasis Treat 2019;5:33 Journal of Cancer
DOI: 10.20517/2394-4722.2018.110 Metastasis and Treatment

Review Open Access

Peripheral biomarkers for pediatric brain tumors:
current advancements and future challenges

Markus J. Bookland , Antonina Kolmakova 2
1,2
1 Division of Neurosurgery, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Hartford, CT 06106, USA.
2 Department of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06106, USA.

Correspondence to: Dr. Markus J. Bookland, Division of Neurosurgery, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, 282 Washington
St., Hartford, CT 06106, USA. E-mail: mbookland@connecticutchildrens.org

How to cite this article: Bookland MJ, Kolmakova A. Peripheral biomarkers for pediatric brain tumors: current advancements
and future challenges. J Cancer Metastasis Treat 2019;5:33. http://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2394-4722.2018.110

Received: 30 Dec 2018 First Decision: 26 Feb 2019 Revised: 16 Mar 2019 Accepted: 21 Mar 2019 Published: 19 Apr 2019

Science Editor: Bingliang Fang Copy Editor: Cai-Hong Wang Production Editor: Huan-Liang Wu

Abstract
Circulating biomarkers - nucleic acids, proteins, and metabolites - have been used in several adult oncologic
processes to affect early detection, measure response to treatment, and offer prognostic information. The
identification and validation of biomarkers for pediatric brain tumors, however, has been meager by comparison.
Early detection and serial screening of pediatric brain tumors has the potential to improve outcomes by allowing for
rapid therapeutic interventions and more targeted therapies. This is particular resonant for pediatric brain tumors
where treatment success is heavily dependent on early surgical intervention. This highlights the need for biomarker
development in pediatric neuro-oncology. The authors reviewed current circulating biomarker targets in various
biofluid reservoirs and discuss the current barriers to biomarker development in pediatric neuro-oncology patients.

Keywords: Pediatric, brain tumor, biomarker, miRNA, biofluid, overview

INTRODUCTION
Pediatric brain tumors are the leading, oncologic cause of death in children under 10 in North America.
Roughly 4,600 children are diagnosed with brain tumors every year in the United States, and maximal, safe
[1-3]
surgical resection remains the primary treatment modality . Five-year survivals can vary by as much as
70% with some of the most common pediatric brain tumors, depending on a surgeon’s ability to achieve
[4-8]
complete safe resection of the mass . This makes early diagnosis and intervention, potentially, critical to

© The Author(s) 2019. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use,
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