CHEMICAL CARCINOGENESIS IN THE NERVOUS-SYSTEM - PAST AND FUTURE

The model of experimental tumors of the nervous system has greatly con tributed to our understanding of growth and management of intracranial tumors, but has been somewhat neglected in the last years, because a wealth of new data concerning oncogenic action came from viral oncogen esis. These new issues led to a much better insight into human tumor i nduction and promotion. Yet one example of the impact of oncogenic tra nsformation stems from the ''neurooncogenic'' model: the discovery of the neu oncogene and its product as a putative differentiation recepto r in the cell membrane of experimental Schwann cell derived tumors. In the light of this unique finding the history of the ''neurooncogenic' ' model and the morphological and ''clinical'' result of tumors produc ed within the model are reviewed. There is a large open field for futu re investigation both in basic and applied science.