Resumen
Glioblastoma is the most lethal form of brain cancer in adults. No new successful treatments have been developed in 30 years and survival rates have not improved, primarily because of a lack of effective drug treatments. Up to 60% of glioblastoma tumours have increased activity of a growth factor called epidermal growth factor receptor, which drives tumour growth. However, targeted therapies against the epidermal growth factor receptor have failed in clinical trials. A key reason for this is cell plasticity, a trait of brain cells that allow them to change their function in response to their environment. Tumour cells use plasticity to evade anti-cancer drugs. A group of genes called anoctamins may be involved in promoting tumour cell plasticity, which are believed to regulate cancer cell behaviour. This review summarises how anoctamins may regulate growth factor signalling and discusses a novel theory on how anoctamins may contribute to treatment resistance in glioblastoma.