The head of the Molecular Genetics Unit Valdecilla University Hospital, Santander, José Luis Fernández-Luna explained on March 1 its latest advances in research on cancer stem cells of glioblastoma, the most aggressive brain tumor, at IDIBELL seminars.

Neurosurgical techniques have improved greatly in recent years. However, it is currently impossible to prevent relapse of glioblastoma since as explained José Luis Fernández-Luna, there is a peritumoral area infected by tumor stem cells that cannot be removed because it is normal brain tissue. This population of tumor stem cells has a high capacity to migrate within the brain.”

Fernández-Luna explained how they have identified these tumor stem cells and their current work, which is now based on further investigate the mechanisms of invasion and identify new therapeutic targets that could block them.

“Currently, we are testing in mice an inhibitor of NFkB pathway leading to these stem cells to senescence and, in collaboration with a bioinformatics platform, we are looking between more than five million compounds, new candidates to act on various therapeutic targets”.