Abstract 4392: Neuropeptide Y system in glioblastoma

Abstract

Abstract Gliomas constitute the most common primary cerebral tumors of the central nervous system (CNS), with glioblastoma (GBM) representing the most aggressive subtype. Neurotransmitters are important players in maintaining physiological processes in CNS and abnormal levels of their expression is pathogenic, leading to different processes, including neoplasia. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is one of the neurotransmitters that is found to play a pivotal role in several malignancies. NPY, acting via its cognate receptors Y1, Y2 and Y5 (Y1R, Y2R and Y5R), has been shown to stimulate cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasiveness and dissemination, as well as tumor vascularization in various malignancies including neuroblastoma, Ewing sarcoma, colon, breast, prostate and liver cancers. Thus, the goal of this study was to determine if the NPY system is involved in glioma biology. Our immunohistochemistry staining of NPY, Y1R, Y2R, and Y5R in human GBM tissues revealed positive staining for NPY and Y2R in GBM cells. No expression of Y1R and Y5R was detected in GBM neoplastic population. To further elucidate the association between NPY and its receptors with GBM tumor stage and patients' survival, we used the available clinical data from the Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TCGA) database to analyze the gene expression of the NPY system. Y2R expression was increased in high-grade gliomas, while mRNA levels of NPY, Y1R and Y5R inversely correlated with the degree of glioma malignancy. Moreover, high Y2R expression was associated with worse survival in GBM patients. Importantly, endothelial Y2R is also responsible for angiogenic effects of NPY, suggesting its role in GBM vascularization. Altogether, these data suggest the involvement of NPY/Y2R axis in glioma progression toward more aggressive phenotype. Further functional studies are required to determine the role of the Y2R axis in this process. Citation Format: Nouran Abualsaud, Jason Tilan, Bahauddeen M. Alrfaei, Harrison Glor, Taylor Polk, Ewa Izycka-Swieszewska, Joanna Kitlinska. Neuropeptide Y system in glioblastoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 4392.