Open AccessSelf‑renewal signaling pathways and differentiation therapies of glioblastoma stem cells (Review)
Author(s) -
Jing Jin,
Florina Grigore,
Clark C. Chen,
Ming Li
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
international journal of oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.405
H-Index - 122
ISSN - 1019-6439
DOI - 10.3892/ijo.2021.5225
Subject(s) - stem cell , cancer stem cell , biology , cancer research , neural stem cell , progenitor cell , cell cycle , oncogene , cancer , signal transduction , bioinformatics , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a primary brain tumor with a high mortality rate and a median survival time of ~14 months from the initial diagnosis. Although progress has been made in the currently available therapies, the treatment of GBM remains palliative. GBM contains subsets of GBM stem cells (GSCs) that share numerous neural stem/progenitor cell characteristics, such as expression of stem cell markers, self‑renewal and multi‑lineage differentiation capacity, thus contributing to the heterogeneity and complexity of these tumors. GSCs are potentially associated with tumor initiation and they are considered as the driving force behind tumor formation, as they possess tumor‑propagating potential and exhibit preferential resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Targeting self‑renewal signaling pathways in cancer stem cells may effectively reduce tumor recurrence and significantly improve prognosis. The aim of the present review was to summarize the current knowledge on the self‑renewal signaling pathways of GSCs and discuss potential future targeting strategies for the design of differentiation therapies.