Moritz Armbrust

The postoperative management of patients with meningiomas is primarily guided by the World Health Organization (WHO) three-tier histomorphological grading system, which, however, is limited by considerable interobserver variability and low reproducibility. Beyond established histological criteria, recent research has underscored the prognostic value of epigenetic and genetic alterations - such as DNA methylation profiles, chromosomal aberrations, homozygous CDKN2A/B deletions, and TERT promoter mutations - which are increasingly integrated into risk-of-recurrence models to enhance patient stratification. Despite these advances, meningiomas located at the histological and clinical interface between two WHO grades remain particularly challenging to classify and manage in routine diagnostics and subsequent therapeutic decision-making.

The objective of the project Dr. Moritz Armbrust is working on is to identify novel pixel-based and methylome-derived biomarkers in meningiomas and to integrate digital histomorphological signatures with epigenetic and genetic tumor profiles. Focusing specifically on meningiomas at the histological boundary between WHO grades, they develop a standardized digital grading framework to enable more accurate postsurgical patient stratification.