Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 4, 2025
Co-culture of Glioblastoma Stem-like Cells on Patterned Neurons to Study Migration and Cellular Interactions
Published on: February 24, 2021
The Network of Tumor Microtubes: An Improperly Reactivated Neural Cell Network With Stemness Feature for Resistance
Xinyue Wang1,2, Jianhao Liang2, Haitao Sun1,2,3
1Clinical Biobank Center, Microbiome Medicine Center, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Abstract:
Gliomas are known as an incurable brain tumor for the poor prognosis and robust recurrence. In recent years, a cellular subpopulation with tumor microtubes (TMs) was identified in brain tumors, which may provide a new angle to explain the invasion, resistance, recurrence, and heterogeneity of gliomas. Recently, it was demonstrated that the cell subpopulation also expresses neural stem cell markers and shares a lot of features with both immature neurons and cancer stem cells and may be seen as an improperly reactivated neural cell network with a stemness feature at later time points of life. TMs may also provide a new angle to understand the resistance and recurrence mechanisms of glioma stem cells. In this review, we innovatively focus on the common features between TMs and sprouting axons in morphology, formation, and function. Additionally, we summarized the recent progress in the resistance and recurrence mechanisms of gliomas with TMs and explained the incurability and heterogeneity in gliomas with TMs. Moreover, we discussed the recently discovered overlap between cancer stem cells and TM-positive glioma cells, which may contribute to the understanding of resistant glioma cell subpopulation and the exploration of the new potential therapeutic target for gliomas.
Insights
Tumor microtubes (TMs) in gliomas, brain tumors, share features with neural stem cells and axons. Understanding TMs offers new insights into glioma recurrence, invasion, and potential therapeutic targets.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Cancer Biology
- Cellular Neuroscience
Background:
- Gliomas are aggressive brain tumors with poor prognosis and high recurrence rates.
- Tumor microtubes (TMs), a cellular subpopulation, are implicated in glioma invasion, resistance, and heterogeneity.
- TMs exhibit characteristics of neural stem cells and reactivated neural networks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the common features between TMs and sprouting axons in morphology, formation, and function.
- To summarize recent advancements in understanding glioma resistance and recurrence mechanisms involving TMs.
- To explore the overlap between cancer stem cells and TM-positive glioma cells for therapeutic insights.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on tumor microtubes in gliomas.
- Comparative analysis of TMs and axonal sprouting.
- Synthesis of recent research on glioma stem cells and TM-positive cells.
Main Results:
- TMs share morphological, formation, and functional similarities with sprouting axons.
- TMs contribute to glioma recurrence, invasion, and heterogeneity.
- TM-positive glioma cells overlap with cancer stem cells, suggesting a common origin or function.
Conclusions:
- TMs represent a critical factor in glioma's incurability and complexity.
- The similarities between TMs and axons provide a novel framework for understanding glioma biology.
- Targeting TM-related pathways or cancer stem cells may offer new therapeutic strategies for gliomas.
Related Concept Videos
02:40Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
02:17The Tumor Microenvironment