Medulloblastoma stem cells: modeling tumor heterogeneity.
Brain tumors represent the leading cause of childhood cancer mortality, with medulloblastoma (MB) being the most frequent malignant tumor. In this review we discuss the morphological and molecular heterogeneity of this malignant childhood brain tumor and how this key feature has implicated the presence of a MB stem cell. We focus on evidence from cerebellar development, histopathological and molecular subtypes of MB, the recent identification of brain tumor-initiating cells (BTICs, also referred to as MB stem cells), and the current limitations in studying the interplay between MB stem cells and tumor heterogeneity.
McMaster Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1.
Branavan
B
Manoranjan
Chitra
C
Venugopal
Nicole
N
McFarlane
Bradley W
BW
Doble
Sandra E
SE
Dunn
Katrin
K
Scheinemann
Sheila K
SK
Singh
D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D018740:Genetic Heterogeneity; D006801:Humans; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics