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. 2025 Aug 21;13:181. doi: 10.1186/s40478-025-02031-x

Table 3.

Immunophenotypes corresponding to GSC-derived ECs

Immunophenotypes Cell characteristics References
Nestin + /CD31 + 

In vitro: Can be generated by exposing Nestin + /CD133 + cells to hypoxia; confers chemoresistance to neighboring GSCs; can revert to GSC by culturing in stem cell medium

Human GBM samples: represent 85% ECs in hypoxic regions; frequently co-expressed with ETV2 + ; high CD31 expression mostly associated with low Nestin expression; low CD31 expression mostly associated with high Nestin expression

[158]

[154]

Nestin + /ABCG2 +  Human GBM samples: present in tumor vessel wall [40]
Nestin + /CD105 +  Human GBM samples: CD105 and Nestin localized in different regions of the same ECs in the tumor area; overlapped immunoreactivity in the peritumor area [121]
CD133 + /VEGFR2 + 

In vitro: co-express EphA2, CD144, laminin5γ2

In vivo: co-implanting with GSCs results in larger and more vascularized tumors; can initiate tumors whose vasculature is mainly derived from tumor cells

[38]

[152]

CD133 + /CD31 +  Human GBM samples: localize near SOX2-/CD31 + , SOX2-/CD105 + , CD133-/CD31 + ECs, in glomeruloid tufts, microvascular proliferations, invasive front; high CD31 expression mostly associated with low C133 expression; low CD31 expression mostly associated with high CD31 expression; co-express nestin, lipocalin2, selectin, endothelin 1 and 3, VEGF-C, eNOS

[56] [38]

[154]

CD133 + /CD34 +  In vitro: cell population increased by TMZ [8]
CD133 + /CD144 +  In vitro: Can be generated by exposing CD133 + /CD144- cells to the GBM secretome; cultivation in endothelial medium results in downregulation of CD144 and upregulation of CD105, CD31, CD34, VEGFR2; can revert to GSC by culturing in stem cell medium; cell population increased by TMZ

[139]

[56] [8]

GFAP + /CD31 + 

In vitro: display tumorigenic activity; cultivation in endothelial medium results in the loss of tumorigenic activity

Human GBM samples: represent 18% of the total vascularization; co-express vWF, CD144

[109]

[90]

GFAP + /CD34 + 

In vitro: can be generated as small population after cultivation of CD133 + GSCs in transdifferentiation medium

Human GBM samples: represent 14% of the total vascularization

[40]

[90]

SOX2 + /CD31 +  Human GBM samples: tend to localize near SOX2-/CD31 + , SOX2-/CD105 + , CD133-/CD31 + ECs [56]
SOX2 + /CD34 +  In vitro: cell population increased by TMZ [8]
SOX2 + /CD105 + 

In vitro: cell population increased by TMZ

Human GBM samples: tend to localize near SOX2-/CD31 + , SOX2-/CD105 + , CD133-/CD31 + ECs

[56]

[8]

CD105 + 

In vitro: co-express CD31, VEGFR2, vWF

Human GBM samples: similar genetic aberrations (EGFR amplification, Cep7) as the parent tumors; form glomeruloid-like structures

[139]
ABCG2 + /CD34 +  Human GBM samples: appeared in tumor vessel wall in clinical GBM specimens [40]

ABCG2 ATP-binding cassette sub-family G member 2, CD cluster of differentiation, Cep7 chromosome 7 centromere amplification, EC endothelial cell, EGFR epidermal growth factor receptor, eNOS endothelial nitric oxide synthase, EphA2 ephrin type-A receptor 2, ETV2 ETS variant transcription factor 2, GBM glioblastoma, GFAP glial fibrillary acidic protein, GSC glioblastoma stem cell, Laminin5γ2 laminin subunit gamma 2, SOX2 SRY-box transcription factor 2, TMZ temozolomide, VEGF-C vascular endothelial growth factor C, VEGFR2 vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, vWF von Willebrand factor