Department of Radiation Biology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Adv Exp Med Biol. 2012;727:289-304. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4614-0899-4_22.
Human brain tumors are a heterogenous group of neoplasms occurring inside the cranium and the central spinal cord. In adults and children, astrocytic glioma and medulloblastoma are the most common subtypes of primary brain tumors. These tumor types are thought to arise from cells in which Notch signaling plays a fundamental role during development. Recent findings have shown that Notch signaling is dysregulated and contributes to the malignant potential of these tumors. Growing evidence point towards an important role for cancer stem cells in the initiation and maintenance of glioma and medulloblastoma. In this chapter we will cover the present findings of Notch signaling in human glioma and medulloblastoma and try to create an overall picture of its relevance in the pathogenesis of these tumors.
人脑肿瘤是一组发生在颅腔和中枢脊髓内的异质性肿瘤。在成人和儿童中，星形细胞瘤和髓母细胞瘤是原发性脑肿瘤最常见的亚型。这些肿瘤类型被认为起源于 Notch 信号在发育过程中起关键作用的细胞。最近的研究结果表明，Notch 信号失调并有助于这些肿瘤的恶性潜能。越来越多的证据表明，癌症干细胞在胶质母细胞瘤和髓母细胞瘤的发生和维持中起着重要作用。在本章中，我们将介绍 Notch 信号在人类胶质母细胞瘤和髓母细胞瘤中的现有发现，并试图描绘其在这些肿瘤发病机制中的相关性的全貌。
