近日，国际著名杂志Cancer Research上刊登了韩国成均馆大学医学院研究者的最新研究成果“MET Signaling Regulates Glioblastoma Stem Cells”，文章中，研究者揭示了间叶组织-表皮组织转变（MET）信号路径可以调节胶质母细胞瘤干细胞。
多形性胶质母细胞瘤（GBM）是一种常见的致死率极高的脑部肿瘤，是神经胶质瘤的一种。这种脑瘤具有高琴润性，可以大范围的进行转移，治疗后复发率较高。
GBM具有极高的致瘤性，可以通过胶质母细胞瘤干细胞（GSCs）进行自我更新，最终使得肿瘤扩散以及产生耐药。目前调节胶质母细胞瘤干细胞的路径非常有限。众所周知，MET酪氨酸激酶在很多癌症包括GBM中可以刺激肿瘤生存、增殖以及扩散。
在研究报告中，研究者Do-Hyun Nam指出，他们在人类初始GBM样品中发现了可以表达高水平MET的细胞特殊部分，这些特殊的细胞部分可以优先地集中于人类GBM活检组织样品的血管周围区域，并且具有高度独立性、致瘤性以及对放疗产生耐受性。
体外和体内实验中，研究者发现，在胶质母细胞瘤干细胞抑制MET信号路径可以破坏肿瘤的生长和其扩散，因此研究者表示，MET的激活需要胶质母细胞瘤干细胞。
因此研究者的研究结果表明了，在多形性胶质母细胞瘤中MET的激活是癌症干细胞表型的功能要素，其或许会成为未来治疗的一个潜在靶点。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-11-3760
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MET Signaling Regulates Glioblastoma Stem Cells
Kyeung Min Joo1,3, Juyoun Jin1,2, Eunhee Kim5, Kang Ho Kim1,2, Yonghyun Kim1, Bong Gu Kang1,2, Youn-Jung Kang1,2, Justin D. Lathia5, Kwang Ho Cheong6, Paul H. Song6, Hyunggee Kim4, Ho Jun Seol1,2, Doo-Sik Kong2, Jung-Il Lee2, Jeremy N. Rich5, Jeongwu Lee5, and Do-Hyun Nam1,2
Glioblastomas multiforme (GBM) contain highly tumorigenic, self-renewing populations of stem/initiating cells [glioblastoma stem cells (GSC)] that contribute to tumor propagation and treatment resistance. However, our knowledge of the specific signaling pathways that regulate GSCs is limited. The MET tyrosine kinase is known to stimulate the survival, proliferation, and invasion of various cancers including GBM. Here, we identified a distinct fraction of cells expressing a high level of MET in human primary GBM specimens that were preferentially localized in perivascular regions of human GBM biopsy tissues and were found to be highly clonogenic, tumorigenic, and resistant to radiation. Inhibition of MET signaling in GSCs disrupted tumor growth and invasiveness both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that MET activation is required for GSCs. Together, our findings indicate that MET activation in GBM is a functional requisite for the cancer stem cell phenotype and a promising therapeutic target. Cancer Res; 72(15); 3828–38. ©2012 AACR.
