Vestibular Schwannoma Drug Development: Current State-of-the Art

Vestibular schwannomas (VS) can cause significant patient morbidity. Currently, surgery and stereotactic radiation therapy are available treatment options. Recent breakthroughs in research have discovered key cell surface receptors and intracellular signaling pathways that drive vestibular schwannoma tumorigenesis, proliferation, and survival. A number of promising inhibitors targeting these signaling molecules have also now shown efficacy in preclinical VS cell culture models and animal experiments, with some recently entering human clinical trials. In this review, we summarize ErbB receptor signaling, PDGF receptors, MAP kinase signaling, AKT, p21-activated kinase signaling, mTOR, and VEGF signaling in the context of vestibular schwannoma drug development and medical treatment.