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Updated: Apr 15, 2026
Live-Cell Imaging Assays to Study Glioblastoma Brain Tumor Stem Cell Migration and Invasion
Published on: August 29, 2018
Glioblastoma specific antigens, GD2 and CD90, are not involved in cancer stemness
Seon Rang Woo1, Young Taek Oh1, Jae Yeol An2
1Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences and Technology (SAIHST), Samsung Medical Center and Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. ; Center for Molecular Medicine, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul, Korea.
Abstract:
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most malignant World Health Organization grade IV brain tumor. GBM patients have a poor prognosis because of its resistance to standard therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiation. Since stem-like cells have been associated with the treatment resistance of GBM, novel therapies targeting the cancer stem cell (CSC) population is critically required. However, GBM CSCs share molecular and functional characteristics with normal neural stem cells (NSCs). To elucidate differential therapeutic targets of GBM CSCs, we compared surface markers of GBM CSCs with adult human NSCs and found that GD2 and CD90 were specifically overexpressed in GBM CSCs. We further tested whether the GBM CSC specific markers are associated with the cancer stemness using primarily cultured patient-derived GBM cells. However, results consistently indicated that GBM cells with or without GD2 and CD90 had similar in vitro sphere formation capacity, a functional characteristics of CSCs. Therefore, GD2 and CD90, GBM specific surface markers, might not be used as specific therapeutic targets for GBM CSCs, although they could have other clinical utilities.
Insights
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) stem cells overexpress GD2 and CD90. However, these markers did not correlate with cancer stemness, suggesting they may not be effective therapeutic targets for GBM.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Cancer Stem Cell Biology
Background:
- Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly aggressive brain tumor with poor patient prognosis.
- Treatment resistance in GBM is linked to cancer stem cells (CSCs), necessitating targeted therapies.
- GBM CSCs share properties with normal neural stem cells (NSCs), complicating target identification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify surface markers differentially expressed in GBM CSCs compared to normal human NSCs.
- To evaluate the association of identified GBM CSC-specific markers with cancer stemness properties.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of surface marker expression between GBM CSCs and adult human NSCs.
- In vitro sphere formation assays using patient-derived GBM cells with and without specific markers (GD2, CD90).
Main Results:
- GD2 and CD90 were found to be overexpressed specifically in GBM CSCs.
- GBM cells expressing or not expressing GD2 and CD90 exhibited similar in vitro sphere formation capacity.
- Cancer stemness, assessed by sphere formation, was not directly correlated with GD2 and CD90 expression.
Conclusions:
- GD2 and CD90, while GBM CSC-specific, may not serve as effective therapeutic targets due to their lack of association with cancer stemness.
- Further research is needed to explore potential clinical utilities of GD2 and CD90 in GBM beyond direct targeting of CSCs.
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