title: Glioblastoma vasculogenic mimicry: signaling pathways progression and potential anti-angiogenesis targets.
abstract: Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly angiogenic malignancy that is resistant to standard therapy; neo-formed vessels of this aggressive malignancy are thought to arise by sprouting of pre-existing brain capillaries. However, the conventional anti-angiogenic therapy, which seemed promising initially, shows transitory and incomplete efficacy. The discovery of vasculogenic mimicry (VM) has offered a new horizon for understanding tumor vascularization. VM is a tumor cell-constituted, matrix-embedded fluid-conducting meshwork that is independent of endothelial cells and is positively correlated with poor prognosis. Therefore, a better understanding of GBM vasculature is needed to optimize anti-angiogenic therapy. This review focuses on the signaling molecules and cascades involved in VM in relation to ongoing glioma research, as well as the clinical translational advances in GBM that have been offered by the development of optimized anti-angiogenesis treatment modalities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, 85# South Jie Fang Road, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province 030001 People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jin-Ming
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, The First Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, 85# South Jie Fang Road, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province 030001 People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, The First Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, 85# South Jie Fang Road, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province 030001 People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Geng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 15# West Chang Le Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710032 People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xing-Gang
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, 85# South Jie Fang Road, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province 030001 People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chang-Xin
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: Angiogenesis; Cell signaling; Glioblastoma (GBM); Vasculogenic mimicry (VM)