Adhering towards tumorigenicity: altered adhesion mechanisms in glioblastoma cancer stem cells.
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive malignant primary brain tumor in adults with a high recurrence and mortality rate. GBM tumors contain a high degree of cellular heterogeneity, with cells exhibiting stem-like properties (cancer stem cells; CSCs) that are highly efficient at tumor initiation and are resistant to conventional therapies. CSCs interact with their tumor microenvironment by a large group of diverse cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) that participate in intercellular, intracellular and cell-extracellular matrix interactions. Despite the initial description of CAMs as tumor suppressors, recent work has highlighted specific CAMs that are essential for CSC maintenance and tumor progression. This review will highlight recent findings that provide support for a context-specific role of CAMs in CSC function and GBM progression.
Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.|Department of Biological, Geological, & Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA.
Soumya M
SM
Turaga
Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.|Department of Biological, Geological, & Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA.|Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.|Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
Justin D
JD
Lathia
D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules
cancer stem cells; cell adhesion molecules; glioblastoma