Stem nourished by branches: glioblastomas co-opt classic neurotrophic factor signaling to maintain stem-like cell pool

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive and highest grade (World Health Organization grade 4) of diffuse gliomas and is also the most common primary central nervous system malignancy in adults, accounting for 45% of brain cancers (1). Despite multimodality treatment consisting of maximal, safe, surgical resection followed by temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the prognosis of glioblastoma remains challenging with a 5-year survival rate of only 9.8% (2).