Role of the neurogenic niche in the malignancy of glioblastoma
Dr. Guerrero Cazares' lab studies the interaction of brain tumors and components of the neurogenic niche. Research focuses on evaluating the roles that cerebrospinal fluid and its components and subventricular zone cells play in the malignancy of human brain tumors.
Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common, aggressive and proliferative primary brain tumor in adults, despite therapeutic strategies that combine surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Glioblastoma's high invasive capacity makes total surgical resection virtually impossible, resulting in an extremely high recurrence rate.
The ability to form new tumors resides in a subpopulation of glioblastoma cells called brain tumor initiating cells. They are undifferentiated cells with self-renewing and pluripotent capacity, similar to neural stem cells but with the added ability of forming tumors in vivo.
Dr. Guerrero Cazares and others have reported that among primary glioblastomas, those that are located in close proximity to the lateral ventricles present multiple factors that negatively affect patients' survival, including increased recurrence at distant locations.
Scientists don't know why the factors related to lateral ventricle-proximal tumors arise or why they cause worse outcomes for patients. Possible explanations may involve the closeness of lateral ventricle-proximal tumors to the cerebrospinal fluid and the neurogenic niche in the subventricular zone.
The results from the lab's research on the neurogenic niche will provide invaluable knowledge about the mechanisms involved in the invasion and guidance of brain tumor cells.
Project team
Lab members and collaborators studying the role of lateral ventricle-proximal tumors and the neurogenic niche in glioblastoma include Hugo Guerrero Cazares, M.D., Ph.D., and these team members:
- Baher Boktor
- Anna Carrano, Ph.D.
- Aura Figueroa Gonzalez
- Maria F. Gonzalez, Ph.D.
- Genesis Omana Suarez
- Marissa Russo
- Jhan C. Salazar Salazar, Ph.D.