Figure 7. Current model for the involvement of Musashi-1 in glioma development.

The elevated level of the RNA-binding protein Musashi-1 leads to the down-regulation of Numb and PTEN (Imai et al., unpublished), resulting in increased activity of the Notch and PI3K/Akt-pathways, respectively. These events could lead to the enhanced self-renewal and survival of glioma cells and subsequent glioma development. In addition to these mechanisms, the downregulation of Cyclin B1 expression and prolongation of the cell cycle could be involved in Musashi1-mediated glioma development.