Exploiting the Complexities of Glioblastoma Stem Cells: Insights for Cancer Initiation and Therapeutic Targeting
The discovery of glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) in the 2000s revolutionized the cancer research field, raising new questions regarding the putative cell(s) of origin of this tumor type, and partly explaining the highly heterogeneous nature of glioblastoma (GBM). Increasing evidence has suggested tha...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-07-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/15/5278 |
| _version_ | 1797561368968167424 |
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| author | Joana Vieira de Castro Céline S. Gonçalves Adília Hormigo Bruno M. Costa |
| author_facet | Joana Vieira de Castro Céline S. Gonçalves Adília Hormigo Bruno M. Costa |
| author_sort | Joana Vieira de Castro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The discovery of glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) in the 2000s revolutionized the cancer research field, raising new questions regarding the putative cell(s) of origin of this tumor type, and partly explaining the highly heterogeneous nature of glioblastoma (GBM). Increasing evidence has suggested that GSCs play critical roles in tumor initiation, progression, and resistance to conventional therapies. The remarkable oncogenic features of GSCs have generated significant interest in better defining and characterizing these cells and determining novel pathways driving GBM that could constitute attractive key therapeutic targets. While exciting breakthroughs have been achieved in the field, the characterization of GSCs is a challenge and the cell of origin of GBM remains controversial. For example, the use of several cell-surface molecular markers to identify and isolate GSCs has been a challenge. It is now widely accepted that none of these markers is, per se, sufficiently robust to distinguish GSCs from normal stem cells. Finding new strategies that are able to more efficiently and specifically target these niches could also prove invaluable against this devastating and therapy-insensitive tumor. In this review paper, we summarize the most relevant findings and discuss emerging concepts and open questions in the field of GSCs, some of which are, to some extent, pertinent to other cancer stem cells. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:12:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5d2d13b238e64dba81383122a7b074c2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:12:58Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-5d2d13b238e64dba81383122a7b074c22023-11-20T07:56:27ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672020-07-012115527810.3390/ijms21155278Exploiting the Complexities of Glioblastoma Stem Cells: Insights for Cancer Initiation and Therapeutic TargetingJoana Vieira de Castro0Céline S. Gonçalves1Adília Hormigo2Bruno M. Costa3Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, PortugalLife and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, PortugalDepartment of Neurology, Neurosurgery, Medicine, The Tisch Cancer Institute and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY 10029-6574, USALife and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, PortugalThe discovery of glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) in the 2000s revolutionized the cancer research field, raising new questions regarding the putative cell(s) of origin of this tumor type, and partly explaining the highly heterogeneous nature of glioblastoma (GBM). Increasing evidence has suggested that GSCs play critical roles in tumor initiation, progression, and resistance to conventional therapies. The remarkable oncogenic features of GSCs have generated significant interest in better defining and characterizing these cells and determining novel pathways driving GBM that could constitute attractive key therapeutic targets. While exciting breakthroughs have been achieved in the field, the characterization of GSCs is a challenge and the cell of origin of GBM remains controversial. For example, the use of several cell-surface molecular markers to identify and isolate GSCs has been a challenge. It is now widely accepted that none of these markers is, per se, sufficiently robust to distinguish GSCs from normal stem cells. Finding new strategies that are able to more efficiently and specifically target these niches could also prove invaluable against this devastating and therapy-insensitive tumor. In this review paper, we summarize the most relevant findings and discuss emerging concepts and open questions in the field of GSCs, some of which are, to some extent, pertinent to other cancer stem cells.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/15/5278cancer heterogeneityGSCs microenvironmentmolecular pathwaysstem cell markerstherapy resistance |
| spellingShingle | Joana Vieira de Castro Céline S. Gonçalves Adília Hormigo Bruno M. Costa Exploiting the Complexities of Glioblastoma Stem Cells: Insights for Cancer Initiation and Therapeutic Targeting International Journal of Molecular Sciences cancer heterogeneity GSCs microenvironment molecular pathways stem cell markers therapy resistance |
| title | Exploiting the Complexities of Glioblastoma Stem Cells: Insights for Cancer Initiation and Therapeutic Targeting |
| title_full | Exploiting the Complexities of Glioblastoma Stem Cells: Insights for Cancer Initiation and Therapeutic Targeting |
| title_fullStr | Exploiting the Complexities of Glioblastoma Stem Cells: Insights for Cancer Initiation and Therapeutic Targeting |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploiting the Complexities of Glioblastoma Stem Cells: Insights for Cancer Initiation and Therapeutic Targeting |
| title_short | Exploiting the Complexities of Glioblastoma Stem Cells: Insights for Cancer Initiation and Therapeutic Targeting |
| title_sort | exploiting the complexities of glioblastoma stem cells insights for cancer initiation and therapeutic targeting |
| topic | cancer heterogeneity GSCs microenvironment molecular pathways stem cell markers therapy resistance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/15/5278 |
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