Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the deadliest form of brain tumor with a more than 90% 5-year mortality. GBM has a paltry median survival of 12.6 months attributed to the unique treatment limitations such as the high average age of onset, tumor location, and poor current understandings of the tumor pathophysiology. The resection techniques, chemotherapic strategies, and radiation therapy currently used to treat GBM have slowly evolved, but the improvements have not translated to marked increases in patient survival. Here, we will discuss the recent progress in our understanding of GBM pathophysiology, and the diagnostic techniques and treatment options. The discussion will include biomarkers, tumor imaging, novel therapies such as monoclonal antibodies and small-molecule inhibitors, and the heterogeneity resulting from the GBM cancer stem cell population.
Highlights
Gliomas are the most commonly occurring form of brain tumor
Current Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) treatments have not improved overall patient survival rates to the levels achieved for other brain tumors
Diagnosis may be the key to improving patient survival rates through the prevention of tumor growth, and the identification of early biomarkers is critical
Summary
Gliomas are the most commonly occurring form of brain tumor. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most malignant form of glioma causing 3–4% of all cancer-related deaths (Louis et al, 2007). Recent gene therapy experiments with nanoparticle delivery of the p53 gene targeting glioblastoma and cancer stem cells showed induction of apoptosis after standard chemotherapy (Kim et al, 2014b) and improved survival in a mouse model. A 2004 study first identified a small CD133+ stem cell-like population in GBM responsible for the maintenance and proliferation of the tumor (Yuan et al, 2004).
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