MIF and glioblastoma: MIF also reduces contact inhibition to drive localized glioblastoma cell proliferation, though the exact mechanism remains unknown.75 By promoting a mesenchymal phenotype, MIF can increase glioblastoma cell growth more distally through tumor spread.65 However, in glioblastoma models, MIF was shown to be dispensable for tumor cell proliferation and survival, as shRNA-mediated reduction of MIF did not impact these phenotypes.74 This suggests that, in glioblastoma, the dominant function of MIF is likely not regulating cell proliferation or cell death.