Molecular Insights into Glioblastoma Pathogenesis: Focus on Progenitor Cells, Microglia and Noncoding RNA

Dear Colleagues,

Glioblastoma (GBM) tumors are highly heterogeneous and encompass a wide range of cell types within a singular tumor. The tumor microenvironment (TME) niche comprises various components, including endothelial cells, neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, resident immune cells such as microglia, tumor-infiltrating circulating immune cells like TAMs, and noncellular elements such as apocrine and paracrine signaling molecules, exosomes, extracellular matrix (ECM) components, and secreted ECM remodeling enzymes. The diverse and dynamic character of the TME facilitates cancer cells' survival and treatment response. The communication between tumor cells and their surrounding cells is facilitated by soluble substances such as cytokines, chemokines, matrix remodeling enzymes, and growth factors. Moreover, it has been discovered that tumor cells employ many mechanisms, including exosomes, gap junctions, circulating tumor cells, tunneling nanotubes, cell-free DNA, and horizontal DNA transfer, to interact with both tumor and normal cells. The origins of GBM tumors continue to be a subject of continuing scholarly inquiry, wherein many cell types, including glia and neural stem cells (NSCs), are being investigated as potential contributors. Nevertheless, recent progress in RNA sequencing has provided further insights into the previously recognized variations within cancers. The observed enhancements have provided evidence that GBM tumor cells have transcriptional patterns that bear resemblance to neural progenitor cells (NPCs), oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), astrocytes (ACs), and mesenchymal (MES) cells at the cellular level. Therefore, in light of the current imperative to acquire additional understanding about the genesis and progression of GBM, as well as the reciprocal communication between tumor cells and the TME, in this Special Issue, we extend an invitation for the submission of reviews and research articles focusing on the early seeding phase of GBM tumorigenesis and the role of the heterogenous TME in its progression and invasion. 

Dr. Imran Khan
Guest Editor

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• glioblastoma
• tumor microenvironment
• microglia
• tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes
• astrocytes
• progenitor cells
• driver mutations