Glioblastoma Multiforme: A Look Inside Its Heterogeneous Nature

Cancers

Maria-del-Mar Inda¹  Rudy Bonavia¹ 

[1] Translational Research Program, Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, 119-129 Passeig Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona 08035, Spain; E-Mails:

关键词: heterogeneity;    glioblastoma;    clonal evolution;    cancer stem cell;   

DOI  :  10.3390/cancers6010226

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Heterogeneity is a hallmark of tumors and has a crucial role in the outcome of the malignancy, because it not only confounds diagnosis, but also challenges the design of effective therapies. There are two types of heterogeneity: inter-tumor and intra-tumor heterogeneity. While inter-tumor heterogeneity has been studied widely, intra-tumor heterogeneity has been neglected even though numerous studies support this aspect of tumor pathobiology. The main reason has been the technical difficulties, but with new advances in single-cell technology, intra-tumor heterogeneity is becoming a key area in the study of cancer. Several models try to explain the origin and maintenance of intra-tumor heterogeneity, however, one prominent model compares cancer with a tree where the ubiquitous mutations compose the trunk and mutations present in subpopulations of cells are represented by the branches. In this review we will focus on the intra-tumor heterogeneity of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common brain tumor in adults that is characterized by a marked heterogeneity at the cellular and molecular levels. Better understanding of this heterogeneity will be essential to design effective therapies against this devastating disease to avoid tumor escape.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.