Anastasaki and colleagues establish a previously unknown glutamate growth dependency in pediatric low-grade brain tumors (gliomas). Glioma cells hijack normal neuron-glial molecular circuits present during neurodevelopment, using aberrant glutamate receptor stimulation to activate PDGFRα/ERK via Src. This uncovers a molecular link between neurotransmitter signaling and tumor growth in children.

Intravital microscopy (IVM) enables the observation and precise quantification of cellular processes within native tissue microenvironments, with resolutions unmatched by other techniques. This powerf...