Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 5, 2025

Modeling Astrocytoma Pathogenesis In Vitro and In Vivo Using Cortical Astrocytes or Neural Stem Cells from Conditional, Genetically Engineered Mice
10:13

Modeling Astrocytoma Pathogenesis In Vitro and In Vivo Using Cortical Astrocytes or Neural Stem Cells from Conditional, Genetically Engineered Mice

Published on: August 12, 2014

13.6K

The Role of Neurodevelopmental Pathways in Brain Tumors

Rachel N Curry1,2, Stacey M Glasgow3,4,5

  • 1Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Houston, TX, United States.

Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
|May 20, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Aberrant neurodevelopmental programs drive brain tumor growth. Understanding these disruptions offers new therapeutic targets for brain cancer treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Neuro-oncology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Cancer Genetics

Background:

  • Disruptions in developmental cell signaling pathways and transcriptional cascades are linked to cancer initiation and progression.
  • Aberrant neurodevelopmental programs are frequently observed in brain tumors, indicating shared mechanisms between development and oncogenesis.
  • Understanding these dysregulated developmental factors is crucial for identifying novel therapeutic strategies for brain malignancies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current literature on developmental signaling and neurodevelopmental transcriptional programs in brain tumors.
  • To examine the role of these programs in tumor initiation, maintenance, and progression across pediatric and adult brain tumors.
  • To highlight potential differentiation therapies and therapeutic targets for brain cancer treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Comprehensive literature review of studies investigating developmental pathways in brain tumors.
  • Analysis of neurodevelopmentally-regulated transcriptional programs in the context of oncogenesis.
  • Examination of therapeutic strategies targeting differentiation pathways.

Main Results:

  • Evidence supports the significant contribution of disrupted developmental pathways to brain tumor development.
  • Shared molecular mechanisms exist between normal neurodevelopment and brain tumor progression.
  • Specific developmental programs are implicated in both pediatric and adult brain tumor subtypes.

Conclusions:

  • Dysregulated developmental programs are key drivers of brain tumor oncogenesis and progression.
  • Targeting these aberrant developmental pathways holds promise for novel brain cancer therapies.
  • Further research into differentiation therapies could lead to improved patient outcomes.
Keywords:
brain tumorsgliomaneurodevelopmentsignaling pathwaytranscription factor

More Related Videos

Processing of Primary Brain Tumor Tissue for Stem Cell Assays and Flow Sorting08:14

Processing of Primary Brain Tumor Tissue for Stem Cell Assays and Flow Sorting

Published on: September 25, 2012

18.4K
A Brain Tumor/Organotypic Slice Co-culture System for Studying Tumor Microenvironment and Targeted Drug Therapies10:13

A Brain Tumor/Organotypic Slice Co-culture System for Studying Tumor Microenvironment and Targeted Drug Therapies

Published on: November 7, 2015

11.4K

Related Concept Videos

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways01:19

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways

Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
6.8K
Tumor Progression02:07

Tumor Progression

Tumor progression is a phenomenon where the pre-formed tumor acquires successive mutations to become clinically more aggressive and malignant. In the 1950s, Foulds first described the stepwise progression of cancer cells through successive stages.
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
6.8K
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
4.0K
Neurulation01:30

Neurulation

Neurulation is the embryological process which forms the precursors of the central nervous system and occurs after gastrulation has established the three primary cell layers of the embryo: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. In humans, the majority of this system is formed via primary neurulation, in which the central portion of the ectoderm—originally appearing as a flat sheet of cells—folds upwards and inwards, sealing off to form a hollow neural tube. As development proceeds, the...
43.6K
Neurogenesis and Regeneration of Nervous Tissue01:15

Neurogenesis and Regeneration of Nervous Tissue

In the CNS, neurogenesis, the birth of new neurons from stem cells, is limited to the hippocampus in adults. In other regions of the brain and spinal cord, neurogenesis is almost non-existent due to inhibitory influences from neuroglia, especially oligodendrocytes, and the absence of growth-stimulating cues. The myelin produced by oligodendrocytes in the CNS inhibits neuronal regeneration. Furthermore, astrocytes proliferate rapidly after neuronal damage, forming scar tissue that physically...
1.2K
Loss of Tumor Suppressor Gene Functions01:12

Loss of Tumor Suppressor Gene Functions

Tumor suppressor genes are normal genes that can slow down cell division, repair DNA mistakes, or program the cells for apoptosis in case of irreparable damage. Hence, they play an essential role in preventing the proliferation of damaged cells.
When the tumor suppressor genes develop mutations or are lost, cells start growing out of control, leading to cancer. However, a single functional copy of the tumor suppressor gene is enough for the cells to maintain their normal functions and cell...
5.4K