gliomas of WHo grades III-IV are malignant brain tumors mostly resistant to conventional therapies. therefore, novel strategies for the treatment of gliomas are warranted. Although immunotherapy is gaining increased attention for the treatment of malignant gliomas and in particular of glioblastoma multiforme (gBM), this approach requires the identification of appropriate antigens. Our aim was t...

Low-grade gliomas, such as pilocytic astrocytoma and subependymoma, are often characterized as benign tumors due to their relative circumscription radiologically and typically non-aggressive biologic behavior. In contrast, low-grades that are by their nature diffusely infiltrative, such as diffuse astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas, have the potential to transform into malignant high-grade cou...

In spite of continuing advances in surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the last few decades have brought little improvement in the prognosis of malignant brain tumours. New immunotherapeutic strategies are being studied in numerous laboratories throughout the world in an effort to gather the further clinical and biological data needed in order to render these therapies effective and selecti...

Malignant gliomas are primary tumors of the central nervous system characterized by diffuse infiltration into the brain and a high recurrence rate. Advances in comprehensive genomic studies have provided unprecedented insight into the genetic and molecular heterogeneity of these tumors and refined our understanding of their evolution from low to high grade. However, similar levels of phenotypic...

Constitutively activated oncogenic signaling via genetic mutations such as in the EGFR/PI3K/Akt and Ras/RAF/MEK pathways has been recognized as a major driver for tumorigenesis in most cancers. Recent insights into tumor metabolism have further revealed that oncogenic signaling pathways directly promote metabolic reprogramming to upregulate biosynthesis of lipids, carbohydrates, protein, DNA an...

Twenty-one cases of malignant gliomas showing multiple tumor foci on CT are described. In 11 patients multiple lesions were evident on the initial CT scan (synchronous lesions); the other 10 patients developed one or more lesions months to years after the original gliomas (metachronous lesions) were documented. Distinctions between multifocal and multicentric gliomas are discussed and CT patter...

Malignant gliomas are devastating neoplasia with limited curative treatment options. Temozolomide (TMZ, Temcat®, Temodal® or Temodar®) is a first-line treatment for malignant gliomas but the development of drug resistance remains a major concern. Activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) is a critical oxido-metabolic regulator in gliomas, and its role in the pathogenesis of TMZ-resistance remain...

IMPORTANCE Glioblastomas and malignant gliomas are the most common primary malignant brain tumors, with an annual incidence of 5.26 per 100,000 population or 17,000 new diagnoses per year. These tumors are typically associated with a dismal prognosis and poor quality of life. OBJECTIVE To review the clinical management of malignant gliomas, including genetic and environmental risk factors suc...

Poor chemosensitivity and the development of chemoresistance remain major obstacles to successful chemotherapy of malignant gliomas. GRP78 is a key regulator of the unfolded protein response (UPR). As a Ca2+-binding molecular chaperone in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), GRP78 maintains ER homeostasis, suppresses stress-induced apoptosis, and controls UPR signaling. We report here that GRP78 is ...

MicroRNA (miRNA) is a new class of small noncoding RNA molecules that regulate a wide spectrum of gene expression in a posttranscriptional manner. MiRNAs play crucial roles in tumorigenesis, angiogenesis, invasion, and apoptosis for various types of tumor. Recent studies have identified dysregulation of specific miRNAs in malignant gliomas. Global expression profiling of miRNAs has revealed sev...