Involvement of the Supraventricular Zone of the Brain in the Development of Cerebral Glioma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a malignant tumor with an average survival of 15–16 months with standard treatment; however, cases of successful treatment provide hope that a better understanding of the pathology will improve prognoses. Glial tumors contain clonogenic cells (cells capable of forming colonies in a culture medium) with high proliferative potential and descendants with a wide range of differentiation possibilities; these clonogenic cells are currently regarded as glioma stem cells (GSC). In normal and pathological conditions, the adult brain includes zones containing proliferating neural stem cells (NSC) and their descendants, i.e., progenitor cells which have started to differentiate. One such zone, lying on the lateral wall of the lateral ventricle and termed the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricle, has received extensive attention because of its importance in gliomagenesis. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the intense exchange of signaling molecules and cells between the GBM and the SVZ leads to accelerated tumor growth and an increased risk of relapse. Research results point to the possibility of developing new and more effective strategies to combat this dangerous disease, taking account of knowledge of the role of the SVZ in the development of this pathology.