CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling in glioma stem cells—prospects for therapeutic intervention

Glioblastomas (GBM) are highly invasive and angiogenic brain tumors that progress rapidly. The disease is intractable despite aggressive treatment, including postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Glioma stem cells (GSCs), which are phenotypically similar to neural stem cells and neural progenitor cells (NPCs), are more resistant to cancer therapies than differentiated GBM cells. One of the characteristics of GSCs is the utilization of the CXCL12/CXCR4 pathway in the tumor microenvironment.