No abstract

Spinal cord astrocytomas are rare diseases of the central nervous system. The localization of these tumors and their infiltrative growth complicate their surgical resection, increase the risk of postoperative complications, and require more careful use of radio- and chemotherapy. The information on the genetic mutations associated with the onset and development of astrocytomas provides a more accurate neoplasm diagnosis and classification. In some cases, it also allows one to determine the optimal methods for treating the neoplasm, as well as to predict the treatment outcomes and the risks of relapse. To date, a number of molecular markers that are associated with brain astrocytomas and possess prognostic value have been identified and described. Due to the significantly lower incidence of spinal cord astrocytomas, the data on similar markers are much more sparse and are presented with a lesser degree of systematization. However, due to the retrospective studies of clinical material that have been actively conducted abroad in recent years, the formation of statistically significant genetic landscapes for various types of tumors, including intradural spinal cord tumors, has begun. In this regard, the purpose of this review is to analyze and systematize the information on the most significant genetic mutations associated with various types of astrocytomas, as well as discuss the prospects for using the corresponding molecular markers for diagnostic and prognostic purposes.

Our findings clearly demonstrate the short-term benefits of using CyberKnife radiotherapy for benign spinal cord tumors. The catamnestic follow-up needs to be extended to elaborate recommendations for radiation. The progress in this therapy type will considerably improve the quality of medical care provided to this cohort of patients.

We developed and verified an original, minimally invasive method for surgical simulation of a posttraumatic spinal cord glial scar in rats. The model is intended for use as a biological platform for testing the stimulation of regenerative processes in the central nervous system. Unification of the model enables one to achieve versatility both for implantation techniques and for the development of system-action approaches. Faced with a standard structural defect of the spinal cord, researchers will have the unique opportunity to test in vivo promising methods for spinal function recovery in the posttraumatic period. We developed anesthetic support, surgical tactics, and a set of rehabilitation measures for the chronic postoperative period. Experimental exposure effects were preliminarily assessed in vivo using a standard technique for recording the motor activity of rats in the postoperative period of spinal cord injury. Our final conclusions were drawn based on an analysis of histological sections of the rat spinal cord glial scar in three mutually perpendicular planes.