Targeting Pediatric Glioma with Apoptosis and Autophagy Manipulation.

摘要

Gliomas are the most common and most deadly solid tumors that affect children. Treatment options are limited and cure rates are dismal. My laboratory has established that Mer and Axl receptor tyrosine kinase are aberrantly overexpressed in gliomas, and that inhibition of these RTKs leads to increased glioma cell apoptosis, decreased tumor cell survival and profoundly improved chemosensitivity. However, I have also recognized that Mer and Axl inhibition is associated with increased autophagy. Based on this new discovery, I hypothesize that Mer and Axl RTK signaling regulates autophagy pathway activation in glioma cells, and this regulation determines the efficiency of glioma cell killing.