What is Glioblastoma?

About Glioblastoma:

• It is a type of cancer that starts as a growth of cells in the brain or spinal cord.
• Like all cancers, glioblastoma is caused by DNA mutations that result in uncontrolled cell growth. The underlying causes for these genetic cell mutations are largely unknown. 
• Glioblastoma forms from cells called astrocytes that support nerve cells.
  • Astrocytes help give your brain the nutrients it needs. 
• Glioblastoma tumors make their own blood supply, which helps them grow. It’s easy for them to invade normal brain tissue.
• It grows quickly and can invade and destroy healthy tissue.
• It can happen at any age. But it tends to happen more often in older adults.
• It accounts for almost half of all cancerous brain tumors in adults.
• Symptoms:
  • Glioblastoma symptoms may include headaches that keep getting worse, nausea and vomiting, blurred or double vision, trouble speaking, altered sense of touch, and seizures.
  • There also may be trouble with balance, coordination, and moving parts of the face or body.
• Treatment:
  • There’s no cure for glioblastoma. Treatments might slow cancer growth and reduce symptoms.
  • The main treatments for glioblastomas are surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. 

Q1: What are Dendritic cells (DCs)?

Dendritic cells are a type of immune cell that play a crucial role in the body’s defense against pathogens. Dendritic cells are derived from bone marrow and are found in tissues that have contact with the external environment, such as the skin (where they are known as Langerhans cells), and the linings of the nose, lungs, stomach, and intestines. They are also present in blood in an immature state.The primary function of dendritic cells is to act as antigen-presenting cells (APCs). They capture antigens (foreign substances) from pathogens like bacteria and viruses and then process and present these antigens on their surface to T cells, initiating an immune response.

Source: AI reprograms glioblastoma cells into dendritic cells for cancer immunotherapy

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