Two routes of direct intercellular communication in brain cancer

Abstract

Glioblastoma is a particularly challenging disease characterized by the connection of tumor cells to functional multicellular networks that effectively resist therapies. In this issue of Biochemical Journal, Pinto et al. report the discovery of two distinct classes of intercellular membrane tube connections, tunneling nanotubes and tumor microtubes, in the same state-of-the-art culture model of patient-derived glioblastoma material. These findings contribute to our understanding of the heterogeneity of intercellular membrane tubes in health and disease, and pave the way for future functional studies on their various roles for disease progression and tumor resistance.

Keywords: cell networks; glioma; radiotherapy; tumor microtubes; tunneling nanotubes.