Stem cell therapies and glioma stem cells in glioblastoma: a systematic review of current challenges and research directions

Relatively higher-quality human studies compared with other topics in this database, e.g. multiple RCTs or systematic reviews. This does not mean it is standard or approved care.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Background Glioblastoma is the most aggressive tumor of glial origin and the most common, as established by the World Health Organization. GBM has been one of the most intractable tumors with minimal progress in prognosis despite decades of research. Stem cell therapy (SCT) has raised hopes with regard to possibly targeting tumor progression and recurrence. Glioma stem cells (GSCs) are directly involved in gliomagenesis and chemoresistance, thus constituting potential valuable therapeutic targets for improving treatment outcomes. Objective The objective of this review article is to assess and consider the potential therapeutic benefits, challenges, and prospective research directions for SCTs for glioblastoma with a particular focus on GSCs as key therapeutic targets. Materials and methods A literature review was performed using search terms and Boolean operators pertinent to SCT and glioblastomas to gather all existing literature. The databases PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were searched in accordance with the standard guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020. Results and conclusions The review established that the main mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), neural stem cells (NSCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and hematopoietic stem cells are the first SCTs evaluated in terms of their potential as a

Evidence level

Relatively higher-quality human studies compared with other topics in this database, e.g. multiple RCTs or systematic reviews. This does not mean it is standard or approved care.

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