We constructed tissue microarrays from paraffin-embedded tissue samples of 1048 vestibular schwannomas and analyzed the expression of cyclooxygenase 2 and the proliferation marker MIB1 (Molecular Immunology Borstel) via immunohistochemistry together with clinical data (age, gender, tumor extension, prior radiotherapy, neurofibromatosis type 2, tumor recurrence, cyclooxygenase 2 responsive medication).
Using a genetically engineered murine model of NF2, we demonstrate that selective inhibition of COX-2 with celecoxib fails to prevent the spontaneous development of schwannomas or sensorineural hearing loss <i>in vivo</i>, despite elevated expression levels of COX-2 in <i>Nf2</i>-deficient tumor tissue.