Stem cell origin of brain tumors.
The biology of both normal and tumor development clearly possesses overlapping and parallel features. Oncogenes and tumor suppressors are relevant not only in tumor biology, but also in physiological developmental regulators of growth and differentiation. Conversely, genes identified as regulators of developmental biology are relevant to tumor biology. This is particularly relevant in the context of brain tumors, where recent evidence is mounting that the origin of brain tumors, specifically gliomas, may represent dysfunctional developmental neurobiology. NSCs are increasingly being investigated as the cell type that originally undergoes malignant transformation--the cell of origin--and the evidence for this is discussed.
Waters
Dawn
D
Division of Neurosurgery, UCSD Medical Center, San Diego, California, USA.
Newman
Ben
B
Levy
Michael L
ML
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology; D009857:Oncogenes; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*