Brain Tumor Res Treat.  2013 Apr;1(1):9-15. 10.14791/btrt.2013.1.1.9.

Molecular Culprits Generating Brain Tumor Stem Cells

• Oh SY
• Kim H

• KMID: 2165216
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14791/btrt.2013.1.1.9

Abstract

Despite current advances in multimodality therapies, such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, the outcome for patients with high-grade glioma remains fatal. Understanding how glioma cells resist various therapies may provide opportunities for developing new therapies. Accumulating evidence suggests that the main obstacle for successfully treating high-grade glioma is the existence of brain tumor stem cells (BTSCs), which share a number of cellular properties with adult stem cells, such as self-renewal and multipotent differentiation capabilities. Owing to their resistance to standard therapy coupled with their infiltrative nature, BTSCs are a primary cause of tumor recurrence post-therapy. Therefore, BTSCs are thought to be the main glioma cells representing a novel therapeutic target and should be eliminated to obtain successful treatment outcomes.

Keyword

High-grade glioma; Brain tumor stem cell; Cancer stem cell niche; Brain tumor stem cell reprogramming; Reprogramming factors

MeSH Terms

Adult Stem Cells
Brain Neoplasms*
Brain*
Drug Therapy
Glioma
Humans
Radiotherapy
Recurrence
Stem Cells*

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Two microenvironments of brain tumor stem cells: vascular and hypoxic niches regulated by various signaling modes. BTSC: brain tumor stem cell, HIF: hypoxia-inducible factor, EC: endothelial cell.

• 

  Fig. 2 Being brain tumor stem cells by acquiring both neoplastic transformation and stemness traits. ID: inhibitor of differentiation.

• 

  Fig. 3 Targeting brain tumor stem cells. NO: nitric oxide, HIF: hypoxia-inducible factor, ROS: reactive oxygen species, BTSC: brain tumor stem cell.

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