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Glioma Formation, Cancer Stem Cells, and Akt Signaling

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Abstract

Several recent reports have provided evidence that cancer is initiated by a rare fraction of cells called “cancer stem cells” which are multipotent, self-renewing subset of the tumor. However, several issues regarding the biology and techniques of isolating these cells from solid tumors remain to be clarified. In addition, experimental data supports two possibilities for glioma cell of origin. First, that stem cells or early progenitors are transformed and show variable differentiation of their progeny during tumor development. Second, that more differentiated glia are transformed by genetic events that lead to a loss of differentiation maintenance. In human gliomas, these two theories are not mutually exclusive. In this review we will summarize both theories, and highlight outstanding issues that remain to be resolved.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Quanchao Zhang and Jim Finney for technical assistance, and Rebecca Bish for critical reading of the manuscript. This work was supported by the Witmer foundation, and NIH grants CA100688 and RO1 CA099489. M.S. is funded by “Federazione Italiana Ricerca Cancro (FIRC)” fellowship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10021, USA

    Dolores Hambardzumyan, Massimo Squatrito, Eletha Carbajal & Eric C. Holland

  2. Brain Tumor Center, Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10021, USA

    Dolores Hambardzumyan, Massimo Squatrito, Eletha Carbajal & Eric C. Holland

  3. Department of Neurosurgery, Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10021, USA

    Eric C. Holland

  4. Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10021, USA

    Eric C. Holland

  5. Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10021, USA

    Eric C. Holland

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  1. Dolores Hambardzumyan
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Correspondence to Eric C. Holland.

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Hambardzumyan, D., Squatrito, M., Carbajal, E. et al. Glioma Formation, Cancer Stem Cells, and Akt Signaling. Stem Cell Rev 4, 203–210 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12015-008-9021-5

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