ABSTRACT
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant tumor of the brain and central nervous system. The complex tumor microenvironment of glioblastoma is considered as the main challenge for clinical treatment of glioblastoma, also the main reason for the high recurrence rate and low survival rate of glioblastoma patients. YKL-40, a secreted protein, is associated with poor prognosis in many types of solid tumors. The expression of YKL-40 in serum and tumor tissues is significantly increased in high-grade gliomas, especially in glioblastoma patients. While this feature is not found in low-grade gliomas, indicating that the expression of YKL-40 is closely related to glioma grade and malignant development. Targeted therapy using YKL-40 antibody together with ionizing radiation has also been shown to synergistically inhibit tumor angiogenesis and malignant progression in glioblastoma patients. Based on the important role of YKL-40 in regulating the tumor microenvironment, this paper summarizes the research progress of YKL-40 in malignant tumors, and discusses the related role of YKL-40 in the occurrence and development of glioblastoma and its clinical application prospect.