New frontiers in therapy of malignant gliomas

The prognosis of patients with malignant gliomas remains dismal despite the development of a multidisciplinary approach to their treatment. There is a strong need for novel therapeutic approaches that can make a definite impact in the clinical course of these tumours. Although there have been several advances in diagnostic modalities, surgical techniques and cytotoxic therapies, the development of newer therapies has been hampered by the limited understanding of the factors that determine the biological nature of gliomas. However, inroads are now being made into the understanding of the genetic make-up, biological behaviour and therapeutic response of these tumours, which are expected to pave the way for new modes of treatment. In this article, we review the advances made in the identification of potential targets for glioma therapy and the recent clinical trials utilising biological therapies and newer cytotoxic agents.