Integrin β1 signaling at the crossroads of cellular plasticity, the tumor microenvironment, and therapy resistance in medulloblastoma

Medulloblastoma (MB), the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor, remains associated with relapse and long-term treatment-related toxicities. Tumor-microenvironment interactions increasingly appear to contribute to progression, stemness, and therapy resistance in brain cancers. Integrin β1, a major mediator of cell-extracellular matrix interactions, regulates survival signaling, mechanotransduction, and cancer stem cell maintenance in several tumor types, particularly glioblastoma. This mini-review discusses how developmental programs, extracellular matrix remodeling, hypoxia, and cancer stem cell plasticity may converge through integrin-dependent signaling in MB. Although direct evidence remains limited, converging findings from developmental neurobiology, stem cell biology, and cancer research support integrin β1 as an underexplored candidate regulator of MB progression and therapeutic resistance.