Brain tumors are a heterogeneous group of brain neoplasms that are highly prevalent in individuals of all ages worldwide. Within this pathological framework, the most prevalent and aggressive type of primary brain tumor is glioblastoma (GB), a subtype of glioma that falls within the IV-grade astrocytoma group. The death rate for patients with GB remains high, occurring within a few months after diagnosis, even with the gold-standard therapies now available, such as surgery, radiation, or a pharmaceutical approach with Temozolomide. For this reason, it is crucial to continue looking for cutting-edge therapeutic options to raise patients’ survival chances. Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a multifunctional protein that has a variety of regulatory roles in inflammatory processes related to extracellular matrix (ECM). An increase in PTX3 blood levels is considered a trustworthy factor associated with the beginning of inflammation. Moreover, scientific evidence suggested that PTX3 is a sensitive and earlier inflammation-related marker compared to the short pentraxin C-reactive protein (CRP). In several tumoral subtypes, via regulating complement-dependent and macrophage-associated tumor-promoting inflammation, it has been demonstrated that PTX3 may function as a promoter of cancer metastasis, invasion, and stemness. Our review aims to deeply evaluate the function of PTX3 in the pathological context of GB, considering its pivotal biological activities and its possible role as a molecular target for future therapies.
脑肿瘤是一组异质性的脑部新生物，在全球各年龄段人群中具有较高的发病率。在此病理学框架内，胶质母细胞瘤（GB）作为胶质瘤的一种亚型，属于IV级星形细胞瘤范畴，是最常见且最具侵袭性的原发性脑肿瘤。即使采用当前标准治疗方案（包括手术、放疗或替莫唑胺药物治疗），GB患者的死亡率仍然居高不下，通常在确诊后数月内死亡。因此，持续探索前沿治疗方案对提高患者生存率至关重要。正五聚蛋白3（PTX3）是一种多功能蛋白，在与细胞外基质（ECM）相关的炎症过程中发挥多种调节作用。血液中PTX3水平升高被认为是炎症发生的可靠相关因素。此外，科学证据表明，与短链正五聚蛋白C反应蛋白（CRP）相比，PTX3是更敏感且更早期的炎症相关标志物。在多种肿瘤亚型中，研究证实PTX3可通过调节补体依赖性和巨噬细胞相关的促肿瘤炎症，发挥促进癌症转移、侵袭和干细胞特性的作用。本综述旨在深入评估PTX3在GB病理背景中的功能，重点关注其关键生物学活性及其作为未来治疗分子靶点的潜在价值。
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家