A New Investigational Perspective for Purines Against Glioblastoma Invasiveness

Current Drug Targets
Patricia GiulianiRenata Ciccarelli

Abstract

Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is the most common and lethal brain malignancy. Recent evidence suggests that the presence of stem-like cells (GSCs) inside the tumor with high self-renewal, resistance to chemotherapy and invasiveness/migration potential is associated with poor GBM prognosis. GSC aggressiveness seems to be linked to an important process involved in tumorigenesis and cancer metastasis called Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT), which is responsible for several biochemical changes and the acquisition of a more mesenchymal phenotype by GSCs, that enhance their migration, invasiveness and resistance to apoptosis. Since previous reports demonstrated that purines, interacting with their own receptors, exerted anti-tumor effects in GBM and derived cells, we tried to investigate the ability of these compounds to reduce tumor cell migration/invasion acting on EMT-associated genes/activators and/or signal pathways. Search in the literature of relevant articles related to the objective. Papers examining the activity of purines on EMT signaling pathways/markers in GSCs are still few whereas literature is more abundant as for other kinds of tumors. Considering the significance of EMT in GBM aggressiveness and the promis...Continue Reading

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