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Review
. 2023 Jul 19;11(2):874-889.
doi: 10.1016/j.gendis.2023.05.025. eCollection 2024 Mar.

Crosstalk between glioblastoma and tumor microenvironment drives proneural-mesenchymal transition through ligand-receptor interactions

Yancheng Lai  1   2 , Xiaole Lu  1   2 , Yankai Liao  1   2 , Pei Ouyang  1   2 , Hai Wang  1   2 , Xian Zhang  1   2 , Guanglong Huang  1   2 , Songtao Qi  1   2 , Yaomin Li  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Crosstalk between glioblastoma and tumor microenvironment drives proneural-mesenchymal transition through ligand-receptor interactions

Yancheng Lai et al. Genes Dis. .

Abstract

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common intrinsic and aggressive primary brain tumor in adults, with a median survival of approximately 15 months. GBM heterogeneity is considered responsible for the treatment resistance and unfavorable prognosis. Proneural-mesenchymal transition (PMT) represents GBM malignant progression and recurrence, which might be a breakthrough to understand GBM heterogeneity and overcome treatment resistance. PMT is a complicated process influenced by crosstalk between GBM and tumor microenvironment, depending on intricate ligand-receptor interactions. In this review, we summarize the autocrine and paracrine pathways in the GBM microenvironment and related ligand-receptor interactions inducing PMT. We also discuss the current therapies targeting the PMT-related autocrine and paracrine pathways. Together, this review offers a comprehensive understanding of the failure of GBM-targeted therapy and ideas for future tendencies of GBM treatment.

Keywords: Autocrine; Glioblastoma; Ligand-receptor interaction; Microenvironment; Paracrine; Proneural-mesenchymal transition.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Autocrine mechanism controls PMT. Different ligands bind to their respective receptors to activate corresponding pathways and up-regulate the expression of related molecules to promote tumor progression in a mesenchymal manner.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Paracrine mechanism controls PMT. This diagram demonstrates how cell–cell ligand-receptor binding affects PMT modulation in the GBM microenvironment. TAMs, endothelial cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and fibroblasts are the main paracrine mechanisms that engage with tumor cells in the GBM microenvironment.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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