Open Access

Epithelial‑mesenchymal transition in glioblastoma progression (Review)

  • Authors:
    • Yasuo Iwadate
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: January 14, 2016     https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2016.4113
  • Pages: 1615-1620
  • Copyright: © Iwadate . This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a reversible biological process that occurs in epithelial cells. EMT ultimately leads to the acquisition of a mesenchymal phenotype, characterized by increased cell motility and resistance to genotoxic agents. These processes mostly overlap with the acquirement of stem cell properties in differentiated tumor cells. With regard to gliomas, the clinical picture is heterogeneous, even within the same grades and histological categories of the disease. Furthermore, the areas of invasion and responses to radiochemotherapy are markedly different among cases, and occasionally even in the same patient. Such phenotypic diversity in glioma tissues may be caused by various microenvironmental factors, as well as intrinsic genetic alterations. The current review focuses on the EMT‑inducing factors that are present in gliomas; these typically vary from those observed in epithelial cancers, as no basement membrane is present. Furthermore, the most important cell‑cell contact factor, E‑cadherin, is rarely expressed in gliomas. The microenvironment that induces EMT in gliomas is characterized by hypoxia and the enrichment of myeloid cells following stimulation by transforming growth factor‑β. Anti‑vascular endothelial growth factor therapy, including the use of bevacizumab, may be a suitable candidate to modulate the glioma microenvironment.
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March-2016
Volume 11 Issue 3

Print ISSN: 1792-1074
Online ISSN:1792-1082

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Spandidos Publications style
Iwadate Y: Epithelial‑mesenchymal transition in glioblastoma progression (Review). Oncol Lett 11: 1615-1620, 2016.
APA
Iwadate, Y. (2016). Epithelial‑mesenchymal transition in glioblastoma progression (Review). Oncology Letters, 11, 1615-1620. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2016.4113
MLA
Iwadate, Y."Epithelial‑mesenchymal transition in glioblastoma progression (Review)". Oncology Letters 11.3 (2016): 1615-1620.
Chicago
Iwadate, Y."Epithelial‑mesenchymal transition in glioblastoma progression (Review)". Oncology Letters 11, no. 3 (2016): 1615-1620. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2016.4113