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Objective: To highlight the current global trends in mortality for cardiovascular disease and cancer. Methods: The World Health Organization and the World Bank DataBank databases were used to analyze mortality rates for cancer and cardiovascular disease by calculating age-standardized mortality rates (ASRs) from 2000 to 2015 for high-income, upper-middle-income, and lower-middle-income countries. Data for cancer mortality and population for 43 countries representing 5 of the 7 continents (except Australia and Antarctica) were analyzed. Results: From 2000 to 2015, there was an increase in the ASR for cancer for both men and women irrespective of a country’s income status, representing an overall 7% increase in cancer ASR (Pearson r, +0.99; P

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive malignant primary brain tumor, with a dismal prognosis and a devastating overall survival. Despite aggressive surgical resection and adjuvant treatment, average survival remains approximately 14.6 months. The brain tumor microenvironment is heterogeneous, comprising multiple populations of tumor, stromal, and immune cells. Tumor cells evade the immune system by suppressing several immune functions to enable survival. Gliomas release immunosuppressive and tumor-supportive soluble factors into the microenvironment, leading to accelerated cancer proliferation, invasion, and immune escape. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) isolated from bone marrow, adipose tissue, or umbilical cord are a promising tool for cell-based therapies. One crucial mechanism mediating the therapeutic outcomes often seen in MSC application is their tropism to sites of injury. Furthermore, MSCs interact with host immune cells to regulate the inflammatory response, and data points to the possibility of using MSCs to achieve immunomodulation in solid tumors. Interleukin 1β, interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor α, transforming growth factor β, and stromal cell–derived factor 1 are notably up-regulated in glioblastoma and dually promote immune and MSC trafficking. Mesenchymal stem cells have widely been regarded as hypoimmunogenic, enabling this cell-based administration across major histocompatibility barriers. In this review, we will highlight (1) the bidirectional communication of glioma cells and tumor-associated immune cells, (2) the inflammatory mediators enabling leukocytes and transplantable MSC migration, and (3) review preclinical and human clinical trials using MSCs as delivery vehicles. Mesenchymal stem cells possess innate abilities to migrate great distances, cross the blood-brain barrier, and communicate with surrounding cells, all of which make them desirable “Trojan horses” for brain cancer therapy.