SD2 cells were derived from a primary glioblastoma that have been maintained in neural stem cell medium (Neurocult NS-A proliferation medium, Stemcell Technologies, WA, USA). SD2 cells were obtained from Roland H. Friedel (Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY) who authenticated and characterized the cell line [32 (link)]. The U87 MG cell line was purchased from ATCC and characterized genetically at COSMIC cancer database. U87 MG cells were cultured in EMEM medium (Sigma Aldrich, USA) supplemented with 10% FBS. For SD2 cells, plates were coated with 10ug/ml laminin (Sigma Aldrich, USA) for 4 hours at 37°. GBM2 and GBM3 are human primary undifferentiated grade IV glioblastoma cell lines obtained from Ramsey Foty [33 (link), 34 (link)] (Department of Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School). These cell lines were maintained in Eagles’ Minimal Essential Medium (EMEM)/10% fetal calf serum and antibiotics. Cell culture experiments performed in a mycoplasma free environment. JL5 was synthesized by Dr. Jacques Roberge and John Gilleran at Rutgers University, Molecular Design & Synthesis [35 (link)]. YM155 was purchased from Selleckchem (Houston, TX). Chloroquine and BMP4 were purchased from Sigma Aldrich, USA and R&D systems, USA, respectively.