“Tag Team” Glioblastoma Therapy

Tag Team Ubiquitin Ligases

Cullin-RING (CRL) and RING1-IBR-RING2 (RBR) are two distinct types of ubiquitin ligases. In this issue, Scott et al. show that CRLs activate the RBR enzyme ARIH1 to initiate ubiquitin chains on CRL substrates, thereby marking an unexpected and important advance in our understanding of both enzymes.

Tag team at the telomeres

Tag team at the telomeres I t takes two crews of proteins to keep the telomeres in fi ne fettle, as Kim et al. show. TRF1 and TRF2 are just two of the proteins that ensure that a cell's telomeres remain long and structurally sound. Another protein, TIN2, links up with both molecules and with other proteins to form complexes that help maintain the telomeres. However, researchers weren't sure whe...

Tag team action at the synapse.

Communication between neurons relies on chemical synapses and the release of neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft. Neurotransmitter release is an exquisitely regulated membrane fusion event that requires the linking of an electrical nerve stimulus to Ca(2+) influx, which leads to the fusion of neurotransmitter-filled vesicles with the cell membrane. The timing of neurotransmitter release i...

"Tag Team" Glioblastoma Therapy: Results From a Phase 1 Trial of Toca 511 and 5-Fluorocytosine for Recurrent High-Grade Glioma.

Radiation therapy of glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common malignant brain tumor that affects approximately 17,000 patients annually. Clear survival advantages have been demonstrated with postoperative radiation therapy (RT) to doses of 5,000-6,000 cGy but dose-escalation attempts beyond 6,000 cGy have resulted in increased toxicity but no additional survival benefit. To improve local control and limit t...