Molecular subtypes, stem cells and heterogeneity: Implications for personalised therapy in glioma

Abstract

We discuss a number of recent developments that have led to new concepts regarding the biology of gliomas. Collective tissue banking, large-scale genomic, transcriptomic and methylomic expression profiling, and discoveries such as isocitrate dehydrogenase gene mutation and the C-phosphate-G island methylation phenotype have improved glioma classification schemes. Furthermore, the discovery of glioma stem cells has both enhanced and complicated our understanding. Gene signatures describing a proneural versus mesenchymal subtype within glioblastoma multiforme is reflected in both parental tumour as well as glioma stem cells and correlates with differential prognosis and response to radiation a..