Gliomas, developing in the brain from the transformed glial cells, are a very special kind of tumor, extremely refractory to conventional treatments. Therefore, for the development of new antitumor strategies, a better understanding of molecular mechanisms responsible for their biology, growth and invasion is still needed. This book is a reference on cellular signaling processes regulating gliomas physiology and invasiveness. The work is focused on the mechanism of nucleotide receptor activation by exogenous nucleotides and formation of complex signaling cascades induced by growth factors, cytokines and cannabinoids. The second edition of the book enriched in new chapters provides a framework explaining how signal transduction elements may modulate numerous genetic and epigenetic alterations, describes the role of local microenvironment in cellular growth, progression and invasion and, in the light of extensive new results, presents perspectives concerning potential targets for gliomas therapy.
