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A new study from researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in Miami has shown that the spatial organization of glioblastoma (GBM) cells may play a key role in treatment resistance and clinical outcomes.
Using single-cell spatial transcriptomics, the researchers showed that GBM cells organized in homotypic clusters maintain stable identities, while dispersed cells exhibit increased plasticity, shifting to alternative phenotypes and altering their surrounding microenvironment. This dispersed, glycolitic-plurimetabolic cell state was associated with significantly shorter survival.
These findings raise the possibility that standard treatments—while essential—could inadvertently contribute to dispersal of GBM cells, potentially promoting a more therapy-resistant phenotype. While this hypothesis requires further validation, it is an important consideration for future therapy development.