Mechanisms regulating radiosensitivity of glioma stem cells

Malignant glioblastoma (GBM) has become a very common and difficult brain tumor given its low cure rate and high recurrence rate. GBMs are resistant to treatments because glioma stem cells (GSCs)/glioma-initiating cells (GICs), a specific subpopulation of GBM, possess properties of tumor stem cells, such as unlimited proficiency, self-renewal, differentiation and resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and exhibit a very strong DNA repair capability. Radiotherapy has become a preponderant treatment, and researchers have found many significant tumor microenvironmental factors and valuable signaling pathways regulating the GSC radioresistance, including NOTCH, Wnt/β-catenin, Hedgehog, STAT3, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR. Therefore, we seek to boost GSC radiosensitivity through activating or inactivating pathways alone or together to eliminate the likely source of glioma and prolong survival of patients.