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Brain cancer propagating cells: biology, genetics and targeted therapies

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

100 Scopus citations

Abstract

Cancer propagating cells (CPCs) within primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors (glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), medulloblastoma (MB) and ependymoma) might be integral to tumor development and perpetuation. These cells, also known as brain cancer propagating cells (BCPCs), have the ability to self-renew and proliferate. BCPCs can initiate new tumors in mice with high efficiency and these exhibit many features that are characteristic of patient's brain tumors. Accumulating evidence suggests that BCPCs might originate from the transformation of neural stem cells (NSCs) and their progenitors. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that NSC surface markers also define BCPCs. Ultimately, treatments that include specific targeting of BCPCs might potentially be more effective at treating the entire tumor mass, translating to improved patient survival and quality of life.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)519-530
Number of pages12
JournalTrends in Molecular Medicine
Volume15
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2009
Externally publishedYes

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