TITLE:
Molecular Neuropathology versus Histopathology in the Diagnosis of Central Nervous System Tumors: Review Article about Novel Diagnostic and Investigative Technologies
AUTHORS:
Saad Misfer Alqahtani
KEYWORDS:
CNS, Tumors, Methylation, Spatial Transcriptomics, Histopathology, Molecular
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.10 No.12,
December
12,
2022
ABSTRACT: Background: While the diagnostic roles of histopathology and cytopathology remain highly significant nowadays, the roles and applications of molecular techniques in neuropathology are expanding and becoming noteworthy. In the presence of high-throughput techniques such as next-generation sequencing, an exciting application for molecular techniques is genetic or epigenetic profiling, which is known as a rapid, cost-effective, and sensitive technique to elucidate and identify novel genetic or epigenetic alterations. Purpose and Method: The current report is a review article to discuss the significant roles of molecular pathology and advanced molecular technologies, including DNA methylation arrays and spatial transcriptomics, in the neuropathology of central nervous system tumors. Results: The DNA Methylation array is considered a diagnostic support and investigative tool, while spatial transcriptomics is only an investigative tool so far. However, spatial transcriptomics enables visualizing the cells spatially according to their messenger ribonucleic acid and genetic expression. Both of the techniques help in the discovery of different and novel genetic or epigenetic alterations, which may provide opportunities to develop a clinically relevant classification of tumors, elucidate diagnostic and prognostic markers, and ascertain therapeutic checkpoints. There is tremendous growth in the role of these novel technologies, and they are becoming of major importance gradually. Conclusion: Histopathology and cytopathology, as conventional diagnostic disciplines of pathology may have a minor role in the future with further development and advancement of these technologies, especially when they are verified totally and their quality is ensured to serve patients with high healthcare standards. Therefore, different calls from experts in the field of pathology have asked to prepare and train pathologists not only in histopathology but in molecular pathology and its advanced technologies under what they have termed next-generation pathologists.