January 2010 – Notch blockade targets cancer stem cells in glioblastoma

Xing Fan and Charles Eberhart published a paper in the January issue of the journal Stem Cells showing that Notch pathway blockade can deplete stem-like cells from glioblastoma neurosphere, significantly slowing the growth of tumors in culture and in mice. This work represents one of the first demonstrations of a drug targeting “cancer stem cells” in tumors, and provides support for clinical trials targeting Notch in cancer. A link to a video of Dr. Eberhart discussing these exciting findings is below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6S7fMSCm_s