The Acreage Cancer Study

Glioma stem cells, which give rise to deadly brain cancers, have a metabolic state that differs significantly from that of the cancer cells they give birth to, a factor that helps these stem cells avoid treatment and cause recurrences later.

Researchers with the department of radiation oncology at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center also found for the first time that these glioma stem cells can change their metabolic state at will, from glycolysis (which uses glucose) to oxidative phosphorylation (which uses oxygen).

The stem cells' ability to change their metabolic state allows them to evade treatment and remain alive, said Dr. Frank Pajonk, a UCLA associate professor of radiation oncology and senior author of the study.

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