title: Glioma Stem Cells: Signaling, Microenvironment, and Therapy.
abstract: Glioblastoma remains the most common and devastating primary brain tumor despite maximal therapy with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The glioma stem cell (GSC) subpopulation has been identified in glioblastoma and likely plays a key role in resistance of these tumors to conventional therapies as well as recurrent disease. GSCs are capable of self-renewal and differentiation; glioblastoma-derived GSCs are capable of de novo tumor formation when implanted in xenograft models. Further, GSCs possess unique surface markers, modulate characteristic signaling pathways to promote tumorigenesis, and play key roles in glioma vascular formation. These features, in addition to microenvironmental factors, present possible targets for specifically directing therapy against the GSC population within glioblastoma. In this review, the authors summarize the current knowledge of GSC biology and function and the role of GSCs in new vascular formation within glioblastoma and discuss potential therapeutic approaches to target GSCs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Brandon D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Liebelt
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shingu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Jiangong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Seul A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu