Compared with LGG, GBM showed higher expression of POU5F1, PRDM1, BMP8B, LIF, STAT3, ACVR1, IFITM3, ITGB1, CXCR4, WNT5A, ROR2 and GDF15 (Fig. 3A, B, and Additional file 1: Fig S2A, Table S4), indicating that both the activation of the PGC-like state and the return of germ cells to the embryo-like state were essential in the malignant behaviours of some gliomas via somatic parthenogenetic embryo-like cycle and/or somatic PGC-EGC/ES-like cycle. Here, GDF15 is linked to central nervous system cancer.