Resisting arrest: a switch from angiogenesis to vasculogenesis in recurrent malignant gliomas

The cellular and molecular events that initiate and promote malignant glioma development are not completely understood. The treatment modalities designed to promote its demise are all ultimately ineffective, leading to disease progression. In this issue of the JCI, Kioi et al. demonstrate that vasculogenesis and angiogenesis potentially play distinct roles in the etiology of primary and recurrent malignant gliomas, suggesting that patient therapy should perhaps be tailored specifically against the predominant vasculature pathway at a given specific stage of gliomagenesis.