Fig. 1

Self-maintenance strategies of GSCs by organization of the advantageous niche. GSC-driven niche development that leads to glioma progression and recurrence is illustrated based on the studies with unique polymer microarray screening and with a unique viewpoint of necrotic particles, ALPs. Left panel depicts how GSC niche components are identified by synthetic polymers: (1) SP-defined GSCs and non-GSCs containing red and green fluorescent protein genes were cultured on synthetic polymer microarrays. (2) The urethane-based polymer PU10 was found to support GSCs. (3) Highly tumorigenic GSCs among SP-defined GSCs were adhered to PU10. (4) PU-10-bound molecules were identified by mass spectrometry as candidate niche components. Right panel summarizes the GSC-driven self-advantageous niche organization, by combining polymer microarray screening outcomes and results of the study on a particular fraction of necrotic particles, ALPs. The polymer-based approach identified niche elements, ECMs and iron. ECMs that support GSCs are supplied by VECs differentiated from GSCs. Factors produced by GSCs efficiently direct host monocytes to iron storing and pro-tumoral macrophages. A particular fraction of necrotic products, ALPs, spontaneously arising from GSCs and non-GSC are engulfed by macrophages, among which those educated by ALPs from GSCs are suggested to function as protumoral TAM