Transcription Factors Distinguishing Glioblastoma Stem Cells Identified

The activity of four transcription factors appears to distinguish the small proportion of glioblastoma cells responsible for the aggressiveness and treatment resistance of the deadly brain tumor. The findings by a team of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators, recently published in Cell, support the importance of epigenetics in cancer pathology and identify molecular circuits that may be targeted by new therapeutic approaches. “We have identified a code of ‘molecular switches’ that control a very aggressive subpopulation of brain cancer cells, so-called glioblastoma stem cells,” said Mario Suvà, MD, PhD, of the MGH Department of Pathology and Center for Cancer Research, co-lead author of the Cell article. “Understanding what drives these aggressive cells will give us insights into alternative ways of eliminating them and potentially changing the course of this very deadly tumor.” To learn more about the study, click here.