The role of basic fibroblast growth factor in glioblastoma multiforme and glioblastoma stem cells and in their in vitro culture

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most malignant form of central nervous system tumor, and current therapies are largely ineffective at treating the cancer. Developing a more complete understanding of the mechanisms controlling the tumor is important in order to explore new possible treatment options. It is speculated that the presence of glioblastoma stem or stem-like cells (GSCs), a rare type of pluripotent cancer cell that possesses the ability to self-renew and generate tumors, could be an important factor contributing to the resistance to treatment and deadliness of the cancer. A comprehensive knowledge of the mechanisms controlling the expression and properties of GSCs is currently lacking, and one promising area for further exploration is in the influence of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) on GSCs. Recent studies reveal that FGF-2 plays a significant part in regulating GBM, and the growth factor is commonly included as a supplement in media used to culture GSCs in vitro. However, the particular role that FGF-2 plays in GSCs has not been as extensively explored. Therefore, understanding how FGF-2 is involved in GSCs and in GBMs could be an important step towards a more complete comprehension of the managing the disease. In this review, we look at the structure, signaling pathways, and specific role of FGF-2 in GBM and GSCs. In addition, we explore the use of FGF-2 in cell culture and using its synthetic analogs as a potential alternative to the growth factor in culture medium.