Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-19-2026
Abstract
Both primary and metastatic brain tumors rely on signals from the surrounding environment for their survival and progression. In particular, the most common and lethal brain cancer, glioblastoma (GBM), derived from glial cells (astrocytes or microglia), has been shown to integrate into synaptic networks and to receive paracrine signals from neighbouring tumor microenvironment (TME) cells. There is increasing evidence that metastatic disease in the brain exhibits similar behavior. The TME both maintains malignant cells and is maintained by them, a process that relies on cancer stem cells (CSCs). These stem cells and their signaling mechanisms, including in the case of GBM, "GSCs," provide possible novel targets for immunotherapy. In this review, we will discuss the integration of primary and malignant brain tumors into normal synaptic networks, the role of tumor stem cells and the TME in this integration, and the potential for immunotherapeutic targeting of these processes.
Recommended Citation
Andrews, Carrie E.; Zilberberg, Jenny; Perez-Olle, Raul; Andrews, David; and Exley, Mark A., "Neurobiological Pathways Underlying Brain Tumor Progression: Basis for Oncogenicity and Opportunities for Immunotherapeutic Intervention" (2026). Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers. Paper 313.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/neurosurgeryfp/313
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
PubMed ID
41939475
Language
English
Comments
This article, first published by Frontiers Media, is the author’s final published version in Frontiers in Oncology, Volume 16, 2026, Article number 1763401.
The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2026.1763401. Copyright © 2026 Andrews, Zilberberg, Perez-Olle, Andrews and Exley.