Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a cancerous brain tumor with almost 100% recurrence rate even after surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Pigment epithelium‐derived factor (PEDF) has been found in areas where these tumors do not grow as aggressively. PEDF slows the growth of tumors by inhibiting angiogenesis, a physiological process involving growth of new capillaries from pre‐existing blood vessels in the body. Restricting blood flow to the tumor starves it of oxygen and nutrients. The mechanism of PEDF‐mediated inhibition of angiogenesis is unknown. Research has shown that PEDF undergoes posttranslational modifications (PTM), chemical changes to a protein after translation, such as the addition of carbohydrates (glycoslylation) or phosphate groups (phosphorylation), which may occur during various cellular events in tumors. PEDF is phosphorylated at S227, S114 and S24 and glycosylated at N285. Glycosylation may also occur on amino acids within a specific region of the protein (amino acids 371–383). The Wisconsin Virtual Learning SMART (Students Modeling A Research Topic) Team modeled PEDF using 3D printing technology. Identifying the PTMs of PEDF in GBM tumors and plasma samples may further the understanding of angiogenesis inhibition and in turn, may lead to the development of treatments for these lethal cancers. The SMART Team Program is funded by a grant from NIH‐CTSA UL1RR031973.
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