Zeitschrift für Wirbelsäulen- und Neurochirurgie

Glioblastoma Multiforme(GBM) Therapy: Targeting Angiogenesis and Inflammation Pathways

Andrew M. Albrecht, Jingxuan Yang, Min Li

Glioblastoma Multiforme(GBM) Therapy: Targeting Angiogenesis and Inflammation Pathways

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and deadly primary brain tumor due to its high rate of metastasis and aggressive infiltration into surrounding tissues. Because of the high resistance to standard therapy, the median survival time of GBM is only 15 months for a patient undergoing reductive surgical resection followed by chemotherapeutics such as temozolomide (TMZ) as well as adjuvant radiotherapy. The current therapies are ineffective largely due to the poor drug delivery and the incomplete knowledge of the signaling pathways controlling the malignant behavior, leading to an extremely high occurrence of relapse. As we learn more about the epigenetic factors and genetic mutations that drive GBM’s progression, we are left with the question: is it possible to develop a novel treatment which can effectively inhibit GBM cell growth and metastasis? Although the mechanisms of GBM pathogenesis and progression are not completely understood, recent advances in the understanding of the signaling pathways that underlie GBM progression and the interaction of the tumor cells with the microenvironment have led to new insights in development of novel therapeutic approaches targeting multiple oncogenic pathways associated with GBM.