Why do tumor cells grow more aggressively in an acidic microenvironment?

Glioblastoma stem cells grow more aggressively in an acidic microenvironment.  In our most recent publication, which was published in Pflügers Archiv – European Journal of Physiology, we show that neither activation of the acid-sensitive ion channel  ASIC1a nor of the Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ channel K_Ca3.1 is responsible. We rather found that phosphoinositide 3-kinase is crucial. In the future, these findings could contribute to a better tumor therapy.