The standard treatment for
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is surgical resection and subsequent
radiotherapy and
chemotherapy. Surgical resection of GBM is typically restricted because of its invasive growth, which results in
residual tumor cells including
glioma stem cells (GSCs) and differentiated cells. Recurrence has been previously thought to occur as a result of these GSCs, and hypoxic microenvironment maintains the GSCs stemness also plays an important role. Summarizing traditional studies and we find many researchers ignored the influence of
hypoxia on differentiated cells. We hypothesized that the residual differentiated cells may be dedifferentiated to GSC-like cells under
hypoxia and play a crucial role in the rapid, high-frequency recurrence of GBM. Therefore, isolated CD133-CD15-NESTIN- cells were prepared as single-cell culture and treated with
hypoxia. More than 95% of the surviving single differentiated CD133-CD15-NESTIN- cell dedifferentiated into tumorigenic CD133+CD15+
NESTIN+ GSCs, and this process was regulated by
hypoxia inducible factor-1α. Moreover, the serum also played an important role in this dedifferentiation. These findings challenge the traditional
glioma cell heterogeneity model, cell division model and
glioma malignancy development model. Our study also highlights the mechanism of GBM recurrence and the importance of anti-
hypoxia therapy. In addition to GSCs, residual differentiated
tumor cells also substantially contribute to treatment resistance and the rapid, high recurrence of GBM.