In their latest research, scientists of the Max Delbrck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch, Germany, have demonstrated how the brain's own stem cells and precursor cells control the growth of glioblastomas. Of all brain tumors, glioblastomas are among the most common and most aggressive. Dr. Sridhar Reddy Chirasani, Professor Helmut Kettenmann and Dr. Rainer Glass (all MDC) and Dr. Michael Synowitz (Charit Universittsmedizin Berlin) have now shown in cell culture and mouse model experiments just how the body's own protective mechanism they identified in an earlier study, actually works (Brain, July 6, 2010, doi:10.1093/brain/awq128)*.
Glioblastomas are brain tumors that are most common in adults in their mid-fifties or early sixties. The causes for developing the disease are not yet known. Researchers assume that misdirected neural stem cells / precursor cells mutate into cancer cells and can form glioblastomas.
Several years ago the MDC and Charit researchers were able to show that normal stem cell/ precursor cells of the brain attack the tumor. Apparently, the tumor itself entices these stem cells to migrate over relatively long distances from the stem cell niches of the brain. Why this is so is unclear. Moreover, the researchers still do not know which substance attract the stem cells to the tumor. However, now they have discovered how the stem cells keep the tumor in check.
Stem cell protein induces signaling in glioblastoma cells
The scientists showed that the neural stem cells and neural precursor cells release a protein that belongs to the family of the BMP proteins (bone morphogenetic protein). This protein received its name for its ability to induce bone and cartilage tissue formation, the first characteristic that was known about it. However, BMP is active in the entire organism even in the brain.
Neural stem cells release BMP-7 in the brain in the vicinity of the glioblastoma
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| Contact: Barbara Bachtler bachtler@mdc-berlin.de 49-309-406-3896 Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres Source:Eurekalert |
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