According to a report in the August 15th Cancer Research stem cell-like glioma cells, taken from glioblastoma biopsy specimens, promote tumor angiogenesis by secreting levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) at levels ten to 20 fold higher than ordinary glioma cells.
Figuring out a way to control angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels to the tumor) is what this is all about. Brain cancer is hard to treat and for it to become a chronic disease we need specialized medications that target the cancer cells. By understanding the stem cell-like glioma cells, which the researchers see have characteristics that contribute to tumor malignancy, they can then come up with drugs that prohibit angiogenesis from occurring thus killing the cancer cell.
