Malignant Progression Of Glioma Research Articles

LncBIRC3-OT promotes the malignant progression of glioma by interacting with RELA to upregulate stanniocalcin-1 expression

Glioma is the most common malignant intracranial tumor, accounting for 80 % of all malignant brain tumors. Growing evidence suggests that lncRNAs are involved in the growth, angiogenesis, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance in a variety of tumors, including glioma. In this study, lncBIRC3-OT (NONHSAT159592.1), which is highly expressed in glioma, was screened by RNA-seq method and verified by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Subsequently, we knocked down the endogenous expression of lncBIRC3-OT in U87 and U251 cells and found that down-regulated lncBIRC3-OT inhibited cell proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion. Mechanically, lncBIRC3-OT could guide RELA protein to the stanniocalcin-1 (STC1) promoter, initiate STC1 transcription, and ultimately promote the progression of glioma. Together, these findings suggest that lncBIRC3-OT is an important regulator promoting glioma progression, and may be a promising therapeutic target for glioma.

SUMOylation of RALY promotes vasculogenic mimicry in glioma cells via the FOXD1/DKK1 pathway

Human malignant gliomas are the most common and aggressive primary malignant tumors of the human central nervous system. Vasculogenic mimicry (VM), which refers to the formation of a tumor blood supply system independently of endothelial cells, contributes to the malignant progression of glioma. Therefore, VM is considered a potential target for glioma therapy. Accumulated evidence indicates that alterations in SUMOylation, a reversible post-translational modification, are involved in tumorigenesis and progression. In the present study, we found that UBA2 and RALY were upregulated in glioma tissues and cell lines. Downregulation of UBA2 and RALY inhibited the migration, invasion, and VM of glioma cells. RALY can be SUMOylated by conjugation with SUMO1, which is facilitated by the overexpression of UBA2. The SUMOylation of RALY increases its stability, which in turn increases its expression as well as its promoting effect on FOXD1 mRNA. The overexpression of FOXD1 promotes DKK1 transcription by activating its promoter, thereby promoting glioma cell migration, invasion, and VM. Remarkably, the combined knockdown of UBA2, RALY, and FOXD1 resulted in the smallest tumor volumes and the longest survivals of nude mice in vivo. UBA2/RALY/FOXD1/DKK1 axis may play crucial roles in regulating VM in glioma, which may contribute to the development of potential strategies for the treatment of gliomas.

LAIR1 drives glioma progression by nuclear focal adhesion kinase dependent expressions of cyclin D1 and immunosuppressive chemokines/cytokines

Leukocyte-associated immunoglobulin-like receptor-1 (LAIR1), an immune receptor containing immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibiory motifs (ITIMs), has emerged as an attractive target for cancer therapy. However, the intrinsic function of LAIR1 in gliomas remains unclear. In this study, the poor prognosis of glioma patients and the malignant proliferation of glioma cells in vitro and in vivo were found to be closely correlated with LAIR1. LAIR1 facilitates focal adhesion kinase (FAK) nuclear localization, resulting in increased transcription of cyclin D1 and chemokines/cytokines (CCL5, TGFβ2, and IL33). LAIR1 specifically supports in the immunosuppressive glioma microenvironment via CCL5-mediated microglia/macrophage polarization. SHP2Q510E (PTP domain mutant) or FAKNLM (non-nuclear localizing mutant) significantly reversed the LAIR1-induced growth enhancement in glioma cells. In addition, LAIR1Y251/281F (ITIMs mutant) and SHP2Q510E mutants significantly reduced FAK nuclear localization, as well as CCL5 and cyclin D1 expression. Further experiments revealed that the ITIMs of LAIR1 recruited SH2-containing phosphatase 2 (SHP2), which then interacted with FAK and induced FAK nuclear localization. This study uncovered a critical role for intrinsic LAIR1 in facilitating glioma malignant progression and demonstrated a requirement for LAIR1 and SHP2 to enhance FAK nuclear localization.

HK3 stimulates immune cell infiltration to promote glioma deterioration

BackgroundGlioma is the most common and lethal type of brain tumor, and it is characterized by unfavorable prognosis and high recurrence rates. The reprogramming of energy metabolism and an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) are two hallmarks of tumors. Complex and dynamic interactions between neoplastic cells and the surrounding microenvironment can generate an immunosuppressive TME, which can accelerate the malignant progression of glioma. Therefore, it is crucial to explore associations between energy metabolism and the immunosuppressive TME and to identify new biomarkers for glioma prognosis.MethodsIn our work, we analyzed the co-expression relationship between glycolytic genes and immune checkpoints based on the transcriptomic data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) and found the correlation between HK3 expression and glioma tumor immune status. To investigate the biological role of HK3 in glioma, we performed bioinformatics analysis and established a mouse glioblastoma (GBM) xenograft model.ResultsOur study showed that HK3 significantly stimulated immune cell infiltration into the glioma TME. Tissue samples with higher HK3 expressive level showed increasing levels of immune cells infiltration, including M2 macrophages, neutrophils, and various subtypes of activated memory CD4+ T cells. Furthermore, HK3 expression was significantly increasing along with the elevated tumor grade, had a higher level in the mesenchymal subtype compared with those in other subtypes of GBM and could independently predict poor outcomes of GBM patients.ConclusionThe present work mainly concentrated on the biological role of HK3 in glioma and offered a novel insight of HK3 regulating the activation of immune cells in the glioma microenvironment. These findings could provide a new theoretical evidence for understanding the metabolic molecular within the glioma microenvironment and identifying new therapeutic targets.

Function of Long Noncoding RNAs in Glioma Progression and Treatment Based on the Wnt/β-Catenin and PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathways.

Gliomas are a deadly primary malignant tumor of the central nervous system, with glioblastoma (GBM) representing the most aggressive type. The clinical prognosis of GBM patients remains bleak despite the availability of multiple options for therapy, which has needed us to explore new therapeutic methods to face the rapid progression, short survival, and therapy resistance of glioblastomas. As the Human Genome Project advances, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have attracted the attention of researchers and clinicians in cancer research. Numerous studies have found aberrant expression of signaling pathways in glioma cells. For example, lncRNAs not only play an integral role in the drug resistance process by regulating the Wnt/β-catenin or PI3K/Akt signaling but are also involved in a variety of malignant biological behaviors such as glioma proliferation, migration, invasion, and tumor apoptosis. Therefore, the present review systematically assesses the existing research evidence on the malignant progression and drug resistance of glioma, focusing on the critical role and potential function of lncRNAs in the Wnt/β-catenin and PI3K/Akt classical pathways to promote and encourage further research in this field.

Enhancement of Microglia Functions by Developed Nano-Immuno-Synergist to Ameliorate Immunodeficiency for Malignant Glioma Treatment.

Resident microglia are key factors in mediating immunity against brain tumors, but the microglia in malignant glioma are functionally impaired. Little immunotherapy is explored to restore microglial function against glioma. Herein, oleanolic acid (OA) (microglia "restorer") and D PPA-1 peptide (immune checkpoint blockade) are integrated on a nano-immuno-synergist (D PAM@OA) to work coordinately. The self-assembled OA core is coated with macrophage membrane for efficient blood-brain barrier penetration and microglia targeting, on which D PPA-1 peptide is attached via acid-sensitive bonds for specific release in tumor microenvironment. With the enhanced accumulation of the dual drugs in their respective action sites, D PAM@OA effectively promotes the recruitment and activation of effector T cells by inhibiting aberrant activation of Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT-3) pathway in microglia, and assists activated effector T cells in killing tumor cells by blocking elevated immune checkpoint proteins in malignant glioma. Eventually, as adjuvant therapy, the rationally designed nano-immuno-synergist hinders malignant glioma progression and recurrence with or without temozolomide. The work demonstrates the feasibility of a nano-formulation for microglia-based immunotherapy, which may provide a new direction for the treatment of brain tumors.

Focused ultrasound combined with miR-1208-equipped exosomes inhibits malignant progression of glioma.

Exosomes (Exos) can safely and effectively deliver therapeutic substances to glioma cells; however, their blood-brain barrier (BBB) crossing capacity remains limited. Focused ultrasound (FUS) can transiently, reversibly, and locally open the BBB, while the effects of FUS combined with Exos-miRNA on the treatment of glioma have not been explored to date. Exos were extracted by differential centrifugation and the efficacy of miR-1208-loaded Exos combined with FUS in the treatment of glioma was detected by CCK-8, colony formation, flow cytometry, transwell and tumour xenografts assays. The METTL3-mediated regulation of IGF2BP2 on mRNA stability of NUP214 was determined by MeRIP-qPCR, half-life and RIP assays. We used Exos secreted by mesenchymal stem cells as carriers for the tumour suppressor gene miR-1208, and following FUS irradiation, more Exos carrying miR-1208 were allowed to pass through the BBB, and the uptake of miR-1208 in Exos by glioma cells was promoted, thereby achieving high-efficiency tumour-suppressive effects. Furthermore, the molecular mechanism underlying this effect was elucidated that miR-1208 downregulated the m6A methylation level of NUP214 mRNA by negatively regulating the expression of METTL3, thereby NUP214 expression and TGF-β pathway activity were suppressed. MiR-1208-loaded Exos combined with FUS is expected to become an effective glioma treatment and deserves further clinical evaluation.

SDPS-17 COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF CELL DIVISION CYCLE ASSOCIATED GENE FAMILY EXPRESSION PATTERN AND PROGNOSIS VALUE REVEALS CDCA2 AS A NOVEL ONCOGENE FOR GLIOMA

Abstract Glioma is the most common central nervous system tumors. Although many biomarkers have been reported for detecting glioma, the prognosis for the disease remains poor, and therefore, new biomarkers need to be identified. The cell division cycle associated proteins (CDCA) family gene is involved in a wide range of biological functions in human cancers. Nevertheless, the expression characteristics of CDCAs, and prognostic value landscape of glioma are remain unknown. Based on a wide variety of public databases and integrated several bioinformatics analysis methods, we evaluated expression dysregulations, clinical implications, DNA methylation, copy number alterations, prognostic and therapeutic values of CDCA family gene in glioma. Further, we identified crucial biomarker, CDCA2, that influence the progression of malignant glioma and poor prognosis. Thereafter, we disclosed the effect of CDCA2 knockdown on the biological function of glioma cells through various experiments in vitro. We found that the elevated mRNA expression of CDCAs in glioma. The upregulated expression of CDCAs was found to be associated with the tumor grade in glioma. The overexpression of CDCAs mRNA were correlated with the poor prognosis. Moreover, the expression level of CDCA2 was significantly higher in glioma, and the level is correlated with grade, age, IDH1 mutation and 1p19q codeletion states. Further cell experimental results supported that the ability of cell proliferation, migration, invasion and radioresistance of glioma cells was significantly decreased after downregulated CDCA2 expression, and these changes may be achieved through the RAD51 and p21/CDK2/CyclinE1 signaling pathways. These findings provide new insights into CDCAs from a bioinformatics standpoint and highlight the significance of CDCAs in glioma diagnosis and treatment. And knockdown of CDCA2 inhibits glioma cells' proliferation, migration, invasion and radioresistance. Regulation of CDCA2 on malignant progression of glioma cells may be realized through the RAD51 and p21/CDK2/CyclinE1 signaling pathways.

Hsa_circ_0010889 downregulation inhibits malignant glioma progression by modulating the miR-590-5p/SATB1 axis.

Glioma is a general neurological tumor and circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been implicated in glioma development. However, the underlying mechanisms and circRNA biological functions responsible for the regulation of glioma progression remain unknown. In this study, we employ next-generation sequencing (NGS) to investigate altered circRNA expression in glioma tissues. Regulatory mechanisms were studied using luciferase reporter analyses, transwell migration, CCK8, and EdU analysis. Tumorigenesis and metastasis assays were utilized to determine the function of hsa_circ_0010889 in glioma. Our results showed that hsa_circ_0010889 expression increased in glioma cell lines and tissues, indicating that hsa_circ_0010889 may be involved in glioma progression. Downregulation of hsa_circ_0010889 inhibited glioma invasion and proliferation in both in vitro and in vivo experiments and luciferase report assays found that miR-590-5p and SATB1 were downstream targets for hsa_circ_0010889. SATB1 overexpression or miR-590-5p inhibition reversed glioma cells proliferation and migration post-silencing of hsa_circ_0010889. Taken together, our study demonstrates that hsa_circ_0010889 downregulation inhibits glioma progression through the miR-590-5p/SATB1 axis.

Signal-transducing adaptor protein 1 (STAP1) in microglia promotes the malignant progression of glioma.

Glioma is the most malignant primary brain tumor with a poor survival time. The tumour microenvironment, especially glioma-associated microglia/macrophages (GAMs), plays an important role in the pathogenesis of glioma. Currently, microglia (CD11b+/CD45Low) and macrophages (CD11b+/CD45High) are distinguished as distinct cell types due to their different origins. Moreover, signal-transducing adaptor protein 1 (STAP1) plays a role in tumourigenesis and immune responses. However, to date, no studies have been reported on STAP1 in GAMs. The Cancer Genome Atlas and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas databases were used to investigate the association between STAP1 mRNA levels and clinical parameters (grades, mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase, and overall survival). RNA-sequencing, qRT-PCR, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence analyses were performed to detect the expression level of STAP1 and related proteins. BV-2 cells were used to construct a STAP1-overexpressing cell line. Phagocytosis of BV-2 cells was assessed by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. C57BL/6 mice were used to establish orthotopic and subcutaneous glioma mouse models. Glioma growth was monitored by bioluminescence imaging. STAP1 expression in glioma-associated microglia is positively correlated with the degree of malignancy and poor prognosis of glioma. Moreover, STAP1 may promote M2-like polarisation by increasing ARG1 expression and inhibiting microglial phagocytosis of microglia. Increased ARG1 may be associated with the IL-6/STAT3 pathway. Impaired phagocytosis may be associated with decreased cofilin and filopodia. STAP1 is positively associated with the degree of glioma malignancy and may represent a potential novel therapeutic target for glioma.

CircGNB1 facilitates the malignant phenotype of GSCs by regulating miR-515-5p/miR-582-3p-XPR1 axis

Glioma is the most common and aggressive primary malignant brain tumor. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) have been verified to mediate diverse biological behaviors in various human cancers. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore a novel circRNA termed circGNB1 and elucidate relative molecular mechanism in functional phenotypes, which might be a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic approach for glioma. CircGNB1 was upregulated in glioma and closely associated with the low poor prognosis. Functional assays demonstrated that circGNB1 overexpression promoted glioma stem cells (GSCs) viability proliferation, invasion, and neurosphere formation. Mechanistically, circGNB1 upregulated the expression of oncogene XPR1 via sponging miR-515-5p and miR-582-3p. The following experiments proved XPR1 could promote the malignant phenotype of GSCs via upregulating IL6 expression and activating JAK2/STAT3 signaling. Moreover, the RNA binding protein IGF2BP3 could bind to and maintain the stability of circGNB1, thus promoting the effects of circGNB1 on GSCs. Our study reveals that circGNB1 plays a crucial role in promoting tumorigenesis and malignant progression in glioma, which provides a promising cancer biomarker.

Mining glycosylation-related prognostic lncRNAs and constructing a prognostic model for overall survival prediction in glioma: A study based on bioinformatics analysis.

Dysregulation of protein glycosylation plays a crucial role in the development of glioma. Long noncoding RNA (lncRNAs), functional RNA molecules without protein-coding ability, regulate gene expression and participate in malignant glioma progression. However, it remains unclear how lncRNAs are involved in glycosylation glioma malignancy. Identification of prognostic glycosylation-related lncRNAs in gliomas is necessary. We collected RNA-seq data and clinicopathological information of glioma patients from the cancer genome atlas and Chinese glioma genome atlas. We used the "limma" package to explore glycosylation-related gene and screened related lncRNAs from abnormally glycosylated genes. Using univariate Cox analyses Regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analyses, we constructed a risk signature with 7 glycosylation-related lncRNAs. Based on the median risk score (RS), patients with gliomas were divided into low- and high-risk subgroups with different overall survival rates. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses regression analyses were performed to assess the independent prognostic ability of the RS. Twenty glycosylation-related lncRNAs were identified by univariate Cox regression analyses. Two glioma subgroups were identified using consistent protein clustering, with the prognosis of the former being better than that of the latter. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analysis identified 7 survival RSs for glycosylation-related lncRNAs, which were identified as independent prognostic markers and predictors of glioma clinicopathological features. Glycosylation-related lncRNAs play an important role in the malignant development of gliomas and may help guide treatment options.

FXR1 promotes glioma progression by downregulating microRNA-124-3p through long noncoding RNA FGD5-AS1 upregulation.

As reported, glioma progression is affected by altered FXR1, long non-coding RNA FGD5-AS1, and microRNA (miR)-124-3p. However, relationships among these genes remain unclear. Accordingly, this paper ascertains whether FXR1 manipulates glioma progression via the FGD5-AS1/miR-124-3p axis. Glioma tissues were harvested, in which FGD5-AS1 and miR-124-3p levels were examined with qRT-PCR and FXR1 level was assessed with qRT-PCR and western blot. The interaction of miR-124-3p with FGD5-AS1 was analyzed by dual-luciferase reporter, RIP, and Pearson correlation coefficient assays, and that of FXR1 with FGD5-AS1 was assessed by RIP and Pearson correlation coefficient assays. Glioma cells were obtained, followed by qRT-PCR detection of miR-124-3p expression. After gain- or loss-of-function assays, EdU, Transwell, and tubule formation assays were performed to determine cell proliferation, invasion and migration, and angiogenesis. Next, the intracranial in situ graft tumor model was established for in vivo verification. FGD5-AS1 and FXR1 levels were high, but miR-124-3p level was low in glioma tissues. Likewise, glioma cells had downregulated miR-124-3p expression. Mechanistically, FGD5-AS1 negatively bound to miR-124-3p, and FXR1 was positively correlated and interacted with FGD5-AS1. miR-124-3p overexpression or FGD5-AS1 or FXR1 knockdown restricted cell invasion, proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis in gliomas. miR-124-3p inhibition abrogated the repressive impacts of FXR1 knockdown on the malignant progression of gliomas. Also, FXR1 constrained tumor growth and angiogenesis in mice, which was counterweighed by inhibiting miR-124-3p. FXR1 might act as an oncogene in gliomas by declining miR-124-3p through FGD5-AS1.

Role of the voltage‑gated sodium channel Nav1.6 in glioma and candidate drugs screening.

Gliomas remain a clinical challenge, common and fatal. Treatment of glioblastoma remains elusive, and researchers have focused on discovering new mechanisms and drugs. It has been well established that the expression of voltage‑gated sodium channels (VGSCs) is abnormally increased in numerous malignancies and, in general, is rarely expressed in the corresponding normal tissues. This suggests that ion channel activity appears to be associated with malignant progression of tumors. VGSCs remain largely unknown as to how their activity leads to an increase in cancer cell activity or invasiveness. Certain sodium ion channel subtypes (for instance, Nav1.5 and Nav1.7) are associated with metastasis and invasion in cancers including breast and colorectal cancers. A previous study by the authors explored the expression of certain ion channels in glioma, but there are few studies related to Nav1.6. The current study aimed to elucidate the expression and role of Nav1.6 in glioma and to screen potential drugs for the treatment of glioma by virtual screening and drug sensitivity analysis. Nav1.6 relative expression of mRNA and protein was determined by reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR and western blot analysis. Cell proliferation was determined by Cell Counting Kit‑8 assay. Cell migration was assessed by cellular wound healing assay. Cell invasion and apoptosis were detected by Transwell cell invasion assay and flow cytometry. Last but not least, FDA‑approved drugs were screened using virtual screening, molecular docking and NCI‑60 drug sensitivity analyses based on the expression and structure of Nav1.6. In glioma cells, Nav1.6 was significantly upregulated and expressed mostly in the cytoplasm and cell membrane; its expression was positively correlated with pathological grade. A172 and U251 cells exhibited reduced proliferation, migration and invasion when Nav1.6 expression was knocked down, and apoptosis was increased. TNF‑α (100pg/ml) acting on glioma cells was found to upregulate the expression level of Nav1.6, and TNF‑α was involved in the process of Nav1.6 promoting malignant progression of glioma. Finally, certain FDA‑approved drugs were identified by virtual screening and drug sensitivity analysis. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated the expression and role of Nav1.6 in glioma and identified several FDA‑approved drugs that are highly correlated with Nav1.6 and could be candidate drugs for patients with glioma.

N6-methyladenosine reader IGF2BP3 as a prognostic Biomarker contribute to malignant progression of glioma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive cancer having a dismal prognosis. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is closely related to GBM progression. The significance of m6A modifications depends on the m6A readers, whose functions in glioma progression are largely unknown. This study sought to investigate the expression of the m6A related gene in glioma and its effect on the malignant progression of glioma. The expression differences between low-grade gliomas (LGGs) and high-grade gliomas (HGGs), and among 19 m6A-related genes were analyzed by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Survival probability was analyzed in terms of the high or low expression of insulin growth factor-2 binding protein 3 (IGF2BP3) in the TCGA data set. The clinicopathological data of 40 patients with glioma were analyzed retrospectively, and the expression of IGF2BP3 in the tumor tissues was analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Lentiviral vectors harboring short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) were used to knock down IGF2BP3 in the glioma cell lines U87 and U251, and the results were verified by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot. The effects of IGF2BP3 on the proliferation, invasion, and tumorigenicity of the glioma cells were verified by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), transwell invasion, and subcutaneous tumorigenesis experiments in nude mice. The cell cycle phases were measured by flow cytometry. The sequencing of TCGA data identified IGF2BP3 as the most significantly altered m6A-related gene. Patients with high IGF2BP3 expression had a significantly reduced survival probability (P<0.001) compared to those with low IGF2BP3 expression. IGF2BP3 was more upregulated in the HGGs than the LGGs. The downregulation of IGF2BP3 inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasiveness of the glioma cells, and xenograft tumor growth in the mice. According to TCGA data, IGF2BP3 was closely related to cell cycle regulators, such as cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) and cell-division cycle protein 20 homologue (CDC20). Further, the knockdown of IGF2BP3 affected the expression of CDK1 and the cell cycle process. IGF2BP3 expression in glioma is positively correlated with tumor grade and enhanced glioma cell proliferation, invasion, and tumorigenicity. IGF2BP3 knockdown decreased the expression of CDK1 and the cell cycle process. The current study showed that IGF2BP3 may serve as a biomarker of prognosis and a therapeutic target in glioma.

Development and validation of a glioma-associated mesenchymal stem cell-related gene prognostic index for predicting prognosis and guiding individualized therapy in glioma

BackgroundRecent studies have demonstrated that glioma-associated mesenchymal stem cells (GA-MSCs) are implicated in the regulation of glioma malignant progression. However, the prognostic value of GA-MSCs has not been comprehensively explored in glioma.MethodsWe extracted GA-MSCs from glioma tissues, established intracranial xenograft models in nude mice, and obtained GA-MSC-related genes (GA-MSCRGs) by using microarrays. The transcriptome data and clinical information of glioma patients were obtained from the CGGA and TCGA databases. We screened 8 prognostic GA-MSCRGs to construct a prognostic index by using the multivariate Cox regression method. The validity of the GA-MSCRGPI was verified in the training (CGGA693) and validation (TCGA and CGGA325) cohorts. The expression patterns of these 8 GA-MSCRGs were validated in 78 glioma tissue specimens by using a qRT‒PCR assay.ResultsGA-MSCs were successfully isolated from glioma tissues. Based on intracranial xenograft models and transcriptome microarray screening, 8 genes (MCM7, CDK6, ORC1, CCL20, TNFRSF12A, POLA1, TRAF1 and TIAM1) were selected for the construction of a GA-MSC-related gene prognostic index (GA-MSCRGPI). In both the training and validation cohorts, high GA-MSCRGPI patients showed an inferior survival outcome compared with low GA-MSCRGPI patients. A nomogram was established based on independent prognostic indicators (age, WHO grade and GA-MSCRGPI) and exhibited a strong forecasting ability for overall survival (OS). Moreover, we found that the GA-MSCRGPI could evaluate the prognosis of glioma patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy. The high GA-MSCRGPI group exhibited higher immune, stromal and ESTIMATE scores; lower tumor purity; higher infiltration of Tregs and M2-type macrophages; fewer activated NK cells; and higher expression of immune checkpoints. Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) showed that the high GA-MSCRGPI group had more responders to ICI therapy. The results of the genetic mutation profile and tumor mutation burden (TMB) in different GA-MSCRGPI subgroups further supplement GA-MSCRGPI-related mechanisms. Finally, the expression patterns of 8 selected GA-MSCRGs in GA-MSCRGPI were correlated with glioma WHO grades to a certain extent.ConclusionThe constructed GA-MSCRGPI could predict prognosis and guide individualized therapy in glioma patients.

Comprehensive Pan-Cancer Analysis of MTF2 Effects on Human Tumors

Understanding oncogenic processes and underlying mechanisms to advance research into human tumors is critical for effective treatment. Studies have shown that Metal regulatory transcription factor 2（MTF2) drives malignant progression in liver cancer and glioma. However, no systematic pan-cancer analysis of MTF2 has been performed. Here, we use University of California Santa Cruz, Cancer Genome Atlas , Genotype-Tissue Expression data, Tumor Immune Estimation Resource, and Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium bioinformatics tools to explore differential expression of MTF2 across different tumor types. MTF2 was found to be highly expressed in the cancer lines that were available through the respective databases included in the study, and overexpression of MTF2 may lead to a poor prognosis in tumor patients such as glioblastoma multiforme, brain lower grade glioma, KIPAN, LIHC, adrenocortical carcinoma, etc. We also validated MTF2 mutations in cancer, compared MTF2 methylation levels in normal and primary tumor tissues, analyzed the association of MTF2 with the immune microenvironment, and validated the functional role of MTF2 in glioma U87 and U251 and breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cell lines by cytometry. This also indicates that MTF2 has a promising application prospect in cancer treatment.

The interaction between ASF1B and TLK1 promotes the malignant progression of low-grade glioma

Aim Low-grade glioma (LGG), which is the second most frequent adult brain malignancy, severely threatens patients’ health and has a high recurrence rate. Histone H3/H4 chaperone anti-silencing function 1 B (ASF1B) has a tight association with the initiation and development of tumours. The expression and regulation mechanism of ASF1B in LGG were discussed. Methods ASF1B expression in LGG patients as well as the association of ASF1B with overall survival and disease-free survival of LGG patients were predicted by GEPIA database. The independent prognostic value of ASF1B in LGG patients was investigated by TCGA database. RT-qPCR, together with western blot was applied for the assessment of ASF1B in LGG cell lines. After ASF1B expression was inhibited, CCK8 and colony formation assays judged cell proliferation. Flow cytometry analysis and TUNEL assay appraised cell cycle as well as apoptosis. Cell migratory and invasive capacities were measured by wound healing as well as Transwell assays. Western blot tested the expression of proliferation-, cycle-, apoptosis-, and metastasis-associated proteins. STRING and GeneMANIA database predicted the relationship between ASF1B and tousled-like kinase 1 (TLK1). ChIP assay testified the affinity of ASF1B with TLK1. Subsequently, TLK1 was overexpressed and ASF1B expression interfered, and the functional assays were executed. Results ASF1B was discovered to be increased in LGG tissues and cells and indicates an unfavourable prognosis for LGG patients. ASF1B was not an independent prognostic factor for LGG. ASF1B deficiency obstructed the proliferation, cell cycle as well as metastasis of LGG cells, and induced cell death, which might be realized through the interaction with TLK1. Conclusion The interaction between ASF1B and TLK1 promoted the malignant progression of LGG. Key messages TLK1 interacts with ASF1B. Interference with ASF1B inhibits the proliferative, invasive and migratory capabilities and induces the cycle arrest, along with the apoptosis of LGG cells. The interaction between ASF1B and TLK1 promotes the malignant progression of LGG.

Dynamic Regulation Genes at Microtubule Plus Ends: A Novel Class of Glioma Biomarkers

Glioma is the most prevalent and aggressive primary nervous system tumor with an unfavorable prognosis. Microtubule plus-end-related genes (MPERGs) play critical biological roles in the cell cycle, cell movement, ciliogenesis, and neuronal development by coordinating microtubule assembly and dynamics. This research seeks to systematically explore the oncological characteristics of these genes in microtubule-enriched glioma, focusing on developing a novel MPERG-based prognostic signature to improve the prognosis and provide more treatment options for glioma patients. First, we thoroughly analyzed and identified 45 differentially expressed MPERGs in glioma. Based on these genes, glioma patients were well distinguished into two subgroups with survival and tumor microenvironment infiltration differences. Next, we further screened the independent prognostic genes (CTTNBP2, KIF18A, NAV1, SLAIN2, SRCIN1, TRIO, and TTBK2) using 36 prognostic-related differentially expressed MPERGs to construct a signature with risk stratification and prognostic prediction ability. An increased risk score was related to the malignant progression of glioma. Therefore, we also designed a nomogram model containing clinical factors to facilitate the clinical use of the risk signature. The prediction accuracy of the signature and nomogram model was verified using The Cancer Genome Atlas and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas datasets. Finally, we examined the connection between the signature and tumor microenvironment. The signature positively correlated with tumor microenvironment infiltration, especially immunoinhibitors and the tumor mutation load, and negatively correlated with microsatellite instability and cancer stemness. More importantly, immune checkpoint blockade treatment and drug sensitivity analyses confirmed that this prognostic signature was helpful in anticipating the effect of immunotherapy and chemotherapy. In conclusion, this research is the first study to define and validate an MPERG-based signature closely associated with the tumor microenvironment as a reliable and independent prognostic biomarker to guide personalized choices of immunotherapy and chemotherapy for glioma patients.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition is the main way in which glioma-associated microglia/macrophages promote glioma progression.

Microglia/macrophages make up the largest population of tumor-infiltrating cells. Numerous studies have demonstrated that glioma-associated microglia/macrophages (GAMs) could promote the malignant progression of gliomas in various pathways. However, the primary function of GAMs in glioma remains inconclusive. First, by the CIBERSORT algorithm, we evaluated the content of microglia/macrophages in glioma tissues by bioinformatic analysis of omic data from thousands of glioma samples. Subsequently, we analyzed and confirmed the significant relationship between GAMs and the malignant phenotype of glioma, including survival time, IDH mutation status, and time of symptom onset. Afterward, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) was identified by Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) from numerous biological processes as the most relevant mechanism of malignant progression to GAMs. Moreover, a series of clinical samples were detected, including normal brain and various-grade glioma tissues. The results not only showed that GAMs were significantly associated with gliomas and their malignancy but also that GAMs were highly correlated with the degree of EMT in gliomas. In addition, we isolated GAMs from glioma samples and constructed co-culture models (in vitro) to demonstrate the promotion of the EMT process in glioma cells by GAMs. In conclusion, our study clarified that GAMs exert oncogenic effects with EMT in gliomas, suggesting the possibility of GAMs as immunotherapeutic targets.