Neural stem cells, tumour stem cells and brain tumours: dangerous relationships?
Neural stem cells (NSC) have been implicated not only in brain development and neurogenesis but also in tumourigenesis. Brain tumour stem cells (BTSC) have been isolated from several paediatric or adult human brain tumours, however their origin is still disputed. This review discusses the normal role of NSC in the adult mammalian brain and their anatomical location. It compares the molecular characteristics and the biological behaviour of NSC/BTSC, and describes the molecular pathways involved in controlling self-renewal and maintenance of adult NSC/BTSC and brain tumour development. It also assesses the current hypotheses about the origin of BTSC and the clinical consequences.
Sutter
Reto
R
Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, Barts and the London, Queen Mary School of Medicine and Dentistry, 4 Newark Street, London E1 2AT, United Kingdom.
Yadirgi
Gokhan
G
Marino
Silvia
S
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*