
Medulloblastoma stem cells: Promising targets in medulloblastoma therapy
Author(s) -
Huang GuoHao,
Xu QingFu,
Cui YouHong,
Li Ningning,
Bian XiuWu,
Lv ShengQing
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
cancer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.035
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1349-7006
pISSN - 1347-9032
DOI - 10.1111/cas.12925
Subject(s) - medulloblastoma , cancer stem cell , stem cell , medicine , progenitor cell , cancer research , regimen , cancer , oncology , biology , genetics
Medulloblastoma ( MB ) is the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor. Despite great improvements in the therapeutic regimen, relapse and leptomeningeal dissemination still pose great challenges to the long‐term survival of MB patients. Developing more effective strategies has become extremely urgent. In recent years, a number of malignancies, including MB , have been found to contain a subpopulation of cancer cells known as cancer stem cells ( CSC s), or tumor initiating/propagating cells. The CSC s are thought to be largely responsible for tumor initiation, maintenance, dissemination, and relapse; therefore, their pivotal roles have revealed them to be promising targets in MB therapy. Our growing understanding of the major medulloblastoma molecular subgroups and the derivation of some of these groups from specific stem or progenitor cells adds additional layers to the CSC knowledge base. Herein we review the current knowledge of MB stem cells, highlight the molecular mechanisms relating to MB relapse and leptomeningeal dissemination, and incorporate these with the need to develop more effective and accurate therapies for MB patients.