Expression of Twist associated to microcirculation patterns of human glioma correlated with progression and survival of the patient

Glioblastoma invasion patterns from a clinical perspective-a systematic review

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor. Despite advances in treatment, mechanisms underlying GBM invasion remain incompletely understood. This systematic review synthesizes findings from laboratory and clinical studies to elucidate the molecular mechanisms driving GBM invasion and their implications for prognosis and therapy. This review adhered to PRISMA guidelines, conducting a comprehensive search of PubMed/Medline for studies published up to October 16, 2023. Inclusion criteria focused on studies investigating molecular mechanisms of GBM invasiveness with reported clinical outcomes (overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Exclusion criteria included systematic reviews, case reports, small case series, and studies limited to preclinical data. Risk of bias was assessed using the ROBINS-I tool. From 831 records, 21 studies (2198 patients) met the criteria. Key GBM invasion mechanisms included ECM degradation, vascular invasion, EMT, apoptotic regulation, cytoskeletal organization, and RNA sequencing. Vascular mechanisms were most studied. Bevacizumab resistance linked to poorer outcomes. EMT markers like TWIST and ECM degradation via MMPs such as CD147 correlated with decreased survival. Cytoskeletal and RNA studies highlighted the prognostic significance of tumor subtypes and microenvironmental interactions. This systematic review elucidates the molecular mechanisms underlying GBM invasiveness and their clinical implications. Integrating molecular profiling into routine clinical assessment may enhance prognostic accuracy and therapeutic efficacy, paving the way for personalized treatment strategies.

An overview of Twist1 in glioma progression and recurrence

Glioma cells are characterized by high migration ability, resulting in the aggressive growth of the tumors and poor prognosis of patients. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is one of the most important steps for tumor migration and metastasis and be elevated during glioma progression and recurrence. Twist1 is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor and a key transcription factor involved in the process of EMT. Twist1 is related to glioma mesenchymal change, invasion, heterogeneity, self-renewal of tumor stem cells, angiogenesis, etc., and may be used as a prognostic indicator and therapeutic target for glioma patients. This paper mainly reviews the structural characteristics, regulatory mechanisms, and apparent regulation of Twist1, as well as the roles of Twist1 during glioma progression and recurrence, providing new revelations for its use as a potential drug target and glioma treatment research.

Vasculogenic Mimicry Occurs at Low Levels in Primary and Recurrent Glioblastoma

Vasculogenic mimicry (VM), the ability of tumour cells to form functional microvasculature without an endothelial lining, may contribute to anti-angiogenic treatment resistance in glioblastoma. We aimed to assess the extent of VM formation in primary and recurrent glioblastomas and to determine whether VM vessels also express prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), a pathological vessel marker. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue from 35 matched pairs of primary and recurrent glioblastoma was immunohistochemically labelled for PSMA and CD34 and stained with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS). Vascular structures were categorised as endothelial vessels (CD34+/PAS+) or VM (CD34-/PAS+). Most blood vessels in both primary and recurrent tumours were endothelial vessels, and these significantly decreased in recurrent tumours (p < 0.001). PSMA was expressed by endothelial vessels, and its expression was also decreased in recurrent tumours (p = 0.027). VM was observed in 42.86% of primary tumours and 28.57% of recurrent tumours. VM accounted for only a small proportion of the tumour vasculature and VM density did not differ between primary and recurrent tumours (p = 0.266). The functional contribution of VM and its potential as a treatment target in glioblastoma require further investigation.

Recent progress in molecular mechanisms of postoperative recurrence and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatectomy is currently considered the most effective option for treating patients with early and intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Unfortunately, the postoperative prognosis of patients with HCC remains unsatisfactory, predominantly because of high postoperative metastasis and recurrence rates. Therefore, research on the molecular mechanisms of postoperative HCC metastasis and recurrence will help develop effective intervention measures to prevent or delay HCC metastasis and recurrence and to improve the long-term survival of HCC patients. Herein, we review the latest research progress on the molecular mechanisms underlying postoperative HCC metastasis and recurrence to lay a foundation for improving the understanding of HCC metastasis and recurrence and for developing more precise prevention and intervention strategies.

Recent Advances in Glioma Therapy: Combining Vascular Normalization and Immune Checkpoint Blockade

Glioblastoma (GBM) accounts for more than 50% of all primary malignancies of the brain. Current standard treatment regimen for GBM includes maximal surgical resection followed by radiation and adjuvant chemotherapy. However, due to the heterogeneity of the tumor cells, tumor recurrence is often inevitable. The prognosis of patients with glioma is, thus, dismal. Glioma is a highly angiogenic tumor yet immunologically cold. As such, evolving studies have focused on designing strategies that specifically target the tyrosine kinase receptors of angiokines and encourage immune infiltration. Recent promising results from immunotherapies on other cancer types have prompted further investigations of this therapy in GBM. In this article, we reviewed the pathological angiogenesis and immune reactivity in glioma, as well as its target for drug development, and we discussed future directions in glioma therapy.