Glioblastoma stem cells exploit the αvβ8 integrin-TGFβ1 signaling axis to drive tumor initiation and progression.

ABSTRACT: Glioblastoma (GBM) is a primary brain cancer that contains populations of stem-like cancer cells (GSCs) that home to specialized perivascular niches. GSC interactions with their niche influence self-renewal, differentiation and drug resistance, although the pathways underlying these events remain largely unknown. Here, we report that the integrin αvβ8 and its latent transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) protein ligand have central roles in promoting niche co-option and GBM initiation. αvβ8 integrin is highly expressed in GSCs and is essential for self-renewal and lineage commitment in vitro. Fractionation of β8^high cells from freshly resected human GBM samples also reveals a requirement for this integrin in tumorigenesis in vivo. Whole-transcriptome sequencing reveals that αvβ8

SUBMITTER: Guerrero PA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5882487 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature