Affiliation:
1. INSERM U1266, Neuronal Signaling in Epilepsy and Glioma Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), Université Paris Cité Paris France
2. Section for Translational Epilepsy Research Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Bonn Bonn Germany
3. Institute of Neuropathology University Hospital Bonn Bonn Germany
Abstract
Low‐grade neuroepithelial tumors (LGNTs), particularly those with glioneuronal histology, are highly associated with pharmacoresistant epilepsy. Increasing research focused on these neoplastic lesions did not translate into drug discovery; and anticonvulsant or antitumor therapies are not available yet. During the last years, animal modeling has improved, thereby leading to the possibility of generating brain tumors in mice mimicking crucial genetic, molecular and immunohistological features. Among them, intraventricular in utero electroporation (IUE) has been proven to be a valuable tool for the generation of animal models for LGNTs allowing endogenous tumor growth within the mouse brain parenchyma. Epileptogenicity is mostly determined by the slow‐growing patterns of these tumors, thus mirroring intrinsic interactions between tumor cells and surrounding neurons is crucial to investigate the mechanisms underlying convulsive activity. In this review, we provide an updated classification of the human LGNT and summarize the most recent data from human and animal models, with a focus on the crosstalk between brain tumors and neuronal function.