Target For Glioblastoma Therapy Research Articles

DDDR-09. POTENTIAL OF GSPT1 AS A NOVEL TARGET FOR GLIOBLASTOMA THERAPY

Abstract Glioblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in adults, the survival rate of which has not significantly improved over the past three decades. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel treatment modalities. We have reported G1 to S phase transition 1 (GSPT1) as a novel downstream target of RAC1, which is a tumor driving and promoting molecule, and that depletions of GSPT1 as well as RAC1 induced delayed cell cycle progression in primary astrocytes. Herein, we examined the potential of GSPT1 as a novel target for glioblastoma therapy. CC-885, a cereblon modulator that degrades GSPT1 by bridging GSPT1 to CRL4 E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, was administered to nude mice with transplanted brain tumors of U87 glioblastoma cells. The survival period was significantly longer in CC-885 treated mice than in control mice. Furthermore, we generated GSPT1-knockout (KO) U87 cells by genome editing and GSPT1-KO U87 cells with stable overexpression of FLAG-tagged GSPT1 (Rescued GSPT1-KO U87 cells). Mice with transplanted GSPT1-KO U87 cells and Rescued GSPT1-KO U87 cells showed significantly longer and similar survival periods, respectively, as those with WT U87 cells. GSPT1-KO U87 cells showed enhanced apoptosis, detected by cleaved PARP1, compared to WT U87 cells. Brain tumors due to transplantation of GSPT1-KO U87 cells also showed enhanced apoptosis compared to those due to transplantation of WT and Rescued GSPT1-KO U87 cells. GSPT1 expression was confirmed in patients with glioblastoma. However, the clinical study using 87 glioblastoma samples showed that GSPT1 mRNA levels were not associated with overall survival. Taken together, we propose that GSPT1 is an essential protein for glioblastoma growth, but not its malignant characteristics, and that GSPT1 is a potential target for developing glioblastoma therapeutics.

Biomimetic Dual‐Driven Heterojunction Nanomotors for Targeted Catalytic Immunotherapy of Glioblastoma

AbstractThe existence of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and the characteristics of the immunosuppressive microenvironment in glioblastoma (GBM) present significant challenges for targeted GBM therapy. To address this, a biomimetic hybrid cell membrane‐modified dual‐driven heterojunction nanomotor (HM@MnO2‐AuNR‐SiO2) is proposed for targeted GBM treatment. These nanomotors are designed to bypass the BBB and target glioma regions by mimicking the surface characteristics of GBM and macrophage membranes. More importantly, the MnO2‐AuNR‐SiO2 heterojunction structure enables dual‐driven propulsion through near‐infrared‐II (NIR‐II) light and oxygen bubbles, allowing effective treatment at deep tumor sites. Meanwhile, the plasmonic AuNR‐MnO2 heterostructure facilitates the separation of electron–hole pairs and generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), inducing immunogenic tumor cell death under NIR‐II laser irradiation. Furthermore, MnO2 in the tumor microenvironment reacts to release Mn2+ ions, activating the cGAS‐STING pathway and enhancing antitumor immunity. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate that these dual‐driven biomimetic nanomotors achieve active targeting and deep tumor infiltration, promoting M1 macrophage polarization, dendritic cell maturation, and effector T‐cell activation, thereby enhancing GBM catalysis and immunotherapy through ROS production and STING pathway activation.

Potential of GSPT1 as a novel target for glioblastoma therapy.

Glioblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in adults, the survival rate of which has not significantly improved over the past three decades. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel treatment modalities. We previously reported that G1 to S phase transition 1 (GSPT1) depletion induces delayed cell cycle in primary astrocytes. Herein, we examined the potential of GSPT1 as a novel target for glioblastoma therapy. CC-885, a cereblon modulator that degrades GSPT1 by bridging GSPT1 to the CRL4 E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, was administered to nude mice with transplanted brain tumors of U87 glioblastoma cells. The survival period was significantly longer in CC-885 treated mice than in control mice. Furthermore, we generated GSPT1-knockout (KO) U87 cells and GSPT1-KO U87 cells with stable overexpression of FLAG-tagged GSPT1 (Rescued GSPT1-KO). Mice with transplanted GSPT1-KO U87 cells and Rescued GSPT1-KO U87 cells showed significantly longer and similar survival periods, respectively, as those with wild-type (WT) U87 cells. GSPT1-KO U87 cells showed enhanced apoptosis, detected by cleaved PARP1, compared to WT U87 cells. Brain tumors with transplantation of GSPT1-KO U87 cells also showed enhanced apoptosis compared to those with transplantation of WT and Rescued GSPT1-KO U87 cells. GSPT1 expression was confirmed in patients with glioblastoma. However, the clinical study using 87 glioblastoma samples showed that GSPT1 mRNA levels were not associated with overall survival. Taken together, we propose that GSPT1 is an essential protein for glioblastoma growth, but not its malignant characteristics, and that GSPT1 is a potential target for developing glioblastoma therapeutics.

VNARs as Neutralizing Intracellular Therapeutic Agents: Glioblastoma as a Target.

Glioblastoma is the most prevalent and fatal form of primary brain tumors. New targeted therapeutic strategies for this type of tumor are imperative given the dire prognosis for glioblastoma patients and the poor results of current multimodal therapy. Previously reported drawbacks of antibody-based therapeutics include the inability to translocate across the blood-brain barrier and reach intracellular targets due to their molecular weight. These disadvantages translate into poor target neutralization and cancer maintenance. Unlike conventional antibodies, vNARs can permeate tissues and recognize conformational or cryptic epitopes due to their stability, CDR3 amino acid sequence, and smaller molecular weight. Thus, vNARs represent a potential antibody format to use as intrabodies or soluble immunocarriers. This review comprehensively summarizes key intracellular pathways in glioblastoma cells that induce proliferation, progression, and cancer survival to determine a new potential targeted glioblastoma therapy based on previously reported vNARs. The results seek to support the next application of vNARs as single-domain antibody drug-conjugated therapies, which could overcome the disadvantages of conventional monoclonal antibodies and provide an innovative approach for glioblastoma treatment.

Angiopep-2-Functionalized Lipid Cubosomes for Blood-Brain Barrier Crossing and Glioblastoma Treatment.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive brain cancer with high malignancy and resistance to conventional treatments, resulting in a bleak prognosis. Nanoparticles offer a way to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and deliver precise therapies to tumor sites with reduced side effects. In this study, we developed angiopep-2 (Ang2)-functionalized lipid cubosomes loaded with cisplatin (CDDP) and temozolomide (TMZ) for crossing the BBB and providing targeted glioblastoma therapy. Developed lipid cubosomes showed a particle size of around 300 nm and possessed an internal ordered inverse primitive cubic phase, a high conjugation efficiency of Ang2 to the particle surface, and an encapsulation efficiency of more than 70% of CDDP and TMZ. In vitro models, including BBB hCMEC/D3 cell tight monolayer, 3D BBB cell spheroid, and microfluidic BBB/GBM-on-a-chip models with cocultured BBB and glioblastoma cells, were employed to study the efficiency of the developed cubosomes to cross the BBB and showed that Ang2-functionalized cubosomes can penetrate the BBB more effectively. Furthermore, Ang2-functionalized cubosomes showed significantly higher uptake by U87 glioblastoma cells, with a 3-fold increase observed in the BBB/GBM-on-a-chip model as compared to that of the bare cubosomes. Additionally, the in vivo biodistribution showed that Ang2 modification could significantly enhance the brain accumulation of cubosomes in comparison to that of non-functionalized particles. Moreover, CDDP-loaded Ang2-functionalized cubosomes presented an enhanced toxic effect on U87 spheroids. These findings suggest that the developed Ang2-cubosomes are prospective for improved BBB crossing and enhanced delivery of therapeutics to glioblastoma and are worth pursuing further as a potential application of nanomedicine for GBM treatment.

Autophagy machinery in glioblastoma: The prospect of cell death crosstalk and drug resistance with bioinformatics analysis

Brain tumors are common malignancies with high mortality and morbidity in which glioblastoma (GB) is a grade IV astrocytoma with heterogeneous nature. The conventional therapeutics for the GB mainly include surgery and chemotherapy, however their efficacy has been compromised due to the aggressiveness of tumor cells. The dysregulation of cell death mechanisms, especially autophagy has been reported as a factor causing difficulties in cancer therapy. As a mechanism contributing to cell homeostasis, the autophagy process is hijacked by tumor cells for the purpose of aggravating cancer progression and drug resistance. The autophagy function is context-dependent and its role can be lethal or protective in cancer. The aim of the current paper is to highlight the role of autophagy in the regulation of GB progression. The cytotoxic function of autophagy can promote apoptosis and ferroptosis in GB cells and vice versa. Autophagy dysregulation can cause drug resistance and radioresistance in GB. Moreover, stemness can be regulated by autophagy and overall growth as well as metastasis are affected by autophagy. The various interventions including administration of synthetic/natural products and nanoplatforms can target autophagy. Therefore, autophagy can act as a promising target in GB therapy.

Targeted glioblastoma therapy by integrating brain-targeting peptides and corn-derived cancer cell-penetrating proteins into nanoparticles to cross blood-brain tumor barriers

Targeted brain tumor therapy by nanoparticles (NPs) remains a daunting challenge due to the difficulty for NPs to go through the blood-brain barriers (BBB) and blood-brain tumor barriers (BBTB). In addition, Dactolisib (Dac) is an effective dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor for cancer treatment. It was the first PI3K inhibitor to enter clinical trials but exhibited toxicity to normal tissues if not delivered to tumor sites by a tumor-targeting carrier. To explore Dac for glioblastoma (GBM) therapy while avoiding its toxicity, we developed a new brain tumor-targeting drug delivery system self-assembled from zein, a cell membrane-penetrating amphiphilic protein originally present in corn. Specifically, the amphiphilicity of zein drove it to self-assemble into NPs that encapsulated Dac with high efficiency. RVG29, a 29-mer brain-targeting peptide, was chemically conjugated to zein constituting the NPs, forming Dac-encapsulated NPs (zein-RVG-Dac_NPs). In vitro assays were conducted to verify the capability of the NPs in penetrating BBB/BBTB, targeting GBM cancer cells and killing them. ELISA was employed to assess the expression of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) on the cancer cells to understand the mechanism of cancer cell membrane penetration by the NPs. The NPs were intravenously injected into orthotopic GBM mice models to demonstrate the brain tumor targeting as well as the effective GBM therapy due to the targeted delivery of Dac to brain tumors. The treated tumors were immunohistochemically analyzed to verify the tumor destruction. To confirm the biosafety of the NPs in treating GBM, we also histopathologically evaluated the major normal organs and chemically analyzed the blood biomarkers. We found that a combination of zein and RVG29 facilitated the zein-RVG-Dac_NPs to cross the BBB/BBTB and became uptaken by the GBM cells through the nAChR-mediated pathways, enabling the NPs to cross BBB/BBTB and deliver Dac selectively to GBM cells. Hence, administration of the NPs through tail veins significantly increased the accumulation of Dac in the orthotopic brain tumor of mice and effectively inhibited tumor growth. Neither toxicity nor adverse effects in the major organs were found due to the excellent biocompatibility of zein and the targeted delivery of Dac into brain tumor cells. Hence, integrating a cell-penetrating natural protein (zein) and a brain-targeting peptide (RVG29) can form NPs that can effectively penetrate BBB/BBTB and then enter brain tumor cells to release Dac, leading to highly effective targeted brain cancer therapy. Such NPs can be extended to the development of therapeutics for treating different brain diseases due to their unique combination of biocompatibility and brain-targeting capability.

Introducing HDAC-Targeting Radiopharmaceuticals for Glioblastoma Imaging and Therapy.

Despite recent advances in multimodality therapy for glioblastoma (GB) incorporating surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy, the overall prognosis remains poor. One of the interesting targets for GB therapy is the histone deacetylase family (HDAC). Due to their pleiotropic effects on, e.g., DNA repair, cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and cell cycle, HDAC inhibitors have gained a lot of attention in the last decade as anti-cancer agents. Despite their known underlying mechanism, their therapeutic activity is not well-defined. In this review, an extensive overview is given of the current status of HDAC inhibitors for GB therapy, followed by an overview of current HDAC-targeting radiopharmaceuticals. Imaging HDAC expression or activity could provide key insights regarding the role of HDAC enzymes in gliomagenesis, thus identifying patients likely to benefit from HDACi-targeted therapy.

Antibody Delivery into the Brain by Radiosensitizer Nanoparticles for Targeted Glioblastoma Therapy.

Glioblastoma is the most lethal primary brain malignancy in adults. Standard of care treatment, consisting of temozolomide (TMZ) and adjuvant radiotherapy (RT), mostly does not prevent local recurrence. The inability of drugs to enter the brain, in particular antibody-based drugs and radiosensitizers, is a crucial limitation to effective glioblastoma therapy. Here, we developed a combined strategy using radiosensitizer gold nanoparticles coated with insulin to cross the blood-brain barrier and shuttle tumor-targeting antibodies (cetuximab) into the brain. Following intravenous injection to an orthotopic glioblastoma mouse model, the nanoparticles specifically accumulated within the tumor. Combining targeted nanoparticle injection with TMZ and RT standard of care significantly inhibited tumor growth and extended survival, as compared to standard of care alone. Histological analysis of tumors showed that the combined treatment eradicated tumor cells, and decreased tumor vascularization, proliferation, and repair. Our findings demonstrate radiosensitizer nanoparticles that effectively deliver antibodies into the brain, target the tumor, and effectively improve standard of care treatment outcome in glioblastoma.

Temozolomide hexadecyl ester targeted plga nanoparticles for drug-resistant glioblastoma therapy via intranasal administration

Introduction: Temozolomide (TMZ) is the first-line drug for glioblastoma (GBM), but it is limited in clinical use due to the drug resistance, poor brain targeting, and side effects. Temozolomide hexadecyl ester (TMZ16e), a TMZ derivative with high lipophilicity, membrane permeability, and high anti-glioma properties, has the potential to reverse drug resistance. In this study, anti-ephrin type-A receptor 3 (EphA3) modified TMZ16e loaded nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared for targeted GBM therapy via intranasal administration to deliver TMZ16e to the brain, treat drug-resistant glioma effectively, and reduce peripheral toxicity. Methods: TMZ16e loaded NPs were prepared by emulsion solvent evaporation method followed by modified with anti-EphA3 (anti-EphA3-TMZ16e-NPs). In vitro evaluations were performed by an MTT assay and flow cytometry analysis. The orthotopic nude mice models were used to evaluate the anti-glioma effect in vivo. Additionally, we investigated the anti-drug resistant mechanism by western blot analysis. Results: The particle size of the prepared NPs was less than 200 nm, and the zeta potential of TMZ16e-NPs and anti-EphA3-TMZ16e-NPs were -23.05 ± 1.48 mV and -28.65 ± 1.20mV, respectively, which is suitable for nasal delivery. In vitro studies have shown that anti-EphA3 modification increased the cellular uptake of nanoparticles in T98G cells. The cytotoxicity in the anti-EphA3-TMZ16e-NPs treated group was significantly higher than that of the TMZ16e-NPs, TMZ16e, and TMZ groups (p < 0.01), and the cell cycle was blocked. Western blotting analysis showed that the TMZ16e-loaded NPs were able to effectively downregulate the expression level of O6-methylguanine-deoxyribonucleic acid-methyltransferase (MGMT) protein in T98G cells and reverse drug resistance. In vivo studies showed that the median survival time of tumor-bearing nude mice in the anti-EphA3-TMZ16e-NPs group was extended to 41 days, which was 1.71-fold higher than that of the saline group and the TUNEL staining results of the brain tissue section indicated that the TMZ16e-loaded NPs could elevate apoptosis in T98G cells. Conclusion: In conclusion, the TMZ16e-loaded NPs can be effectively delivered to the brain and targeted to gliomas, exhibiting better anti-glioma activity, indicating they possess great potential in the treatment of drug-resistant glioma.

Targeting interleukin-13 receptor α2 (IL-13Rα2) for glioblastoma therapy with surface functionalized nanocarriers

Despite surgical and therapeutic advances, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is among the most fatal primary brain tumor that is aggressive in nature. Patients with GBM have a median lifespan of just 15 months when treated with the current standard of therapy, which includes surgical resection and concomitant chemo-radiotherapy. In recent years, nanotechnology has shown considerable promise in treating a variety of illnesses, and certain nanomaterials have been proven to pass the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and stay in glioblastoma tissues. Recent preclinical research suggests that the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumor is significantly explored through the intervention of nanomaterials that has showed enhanced effect. In order to elicit an antitumor response, it is necessary to retain the therapeutic candidates within glioblastoma tissues and this job is effectively carried out by nanocarrier particularly functionalized nanocarriers. In the arena of neoplastic diseases including GBM have achieved great attention in recent decades. Furthermore, interleukin-13 receptor α chain variant 2 (IL13Rα2) is a highly expressed and studied target in GBM that is lacked by the surrounding environment. The absence of IL13Rα2 in surrounding normal tissues has made it a suitable target in glioblastoma therapy. In this review article, we highlighted the role of IL13Rα2 as a potential target in GBM along with design and fabrication of efficient targeting strategies for IL13Rα2 through surface functionalized nanocarriers.

METTL7B contributes to the malignant progression of glioblastoma by inhibiting EGR1 expression

Glioblastoma (GBM), a predominant central nervous system (CNS) malignancy, is correlated with high mortality and severe morbidity. Mammalian methyltransferase-like 7B (METTL7B) as a methyltransferase has been identified to participate in cancer progression. However, its function in GBM is elusive. Accordingly, we aimed to explore the effect of METTL7B on GBM. The expression of METTL7B and EGR2 in GBM patients and GBM cells were detected by qPCR, western blots and immunohistochemical staining. Cell viability was assessed by CCK-8 assays. Cell proliferation was determined by EdU, colony formation, and tumor sphere formation assays. METTL7B shRNA was injected into the Balb/c nude mice. The size and weight of isolated tumor was measured. And the expression levels of Ki67, METTL7B and EGR1 were examined by immunohistochemical staining. METTL7B was significantly elevated, while EGR1 was downregulated in clinical GBM tissues. METTL7B upregulation was associated with the low overall survival of GBM patients. Moreover, METTL7B depletion remarkably attenuated GBM cell proliferation. Mechanistically, METTL7B overexpression inhibited EGR1 expression in GBM cells. EGR1 knockdown rescued the inhibitory effect of METTL7B depletion on GBM cell proliferation. Meanwhile, METTL7B depletion arrested more GBM cells at the G0/G1, but fewer cells at the S phase, which EGR1 knockdown reversed these effects. Furthermore, tumorigenicity analysis revealed that METTL7B promotes tumor growth of GBM cells in vivo. METTL7B contributes to the malignant progression of GBM by inhibiting EGR1 expression. METTL7B and EGR1 may be utilized as the treatment targets for GBM therapy.

AaTs-1: A Tetrapeptide from Androctonus australis Scorpion Venom, Inhibiting U87 Glioblastoma Cells Proliferation by p53 and FPRL-1 Up-Regulations.

Glioblastoma is an aggressive cancer, against which medical professionals are still quite helpless, due to its resistance to current treatments. Scorpion toxins have been proposed as a promising alternative for the development of effective targeted glioblastoma therapy and diagnostic. However, the exploitation of the long peptides could present disadvantages. In this work, we identified and synthetized AaTs-1, the first tetrapeptide from Androctonus australis scorpion venom (Aa), which exhibited an antiproliferative effect specifically against human glioblastoma cells. Both the native and synthetic AaTs-1 were endowed with the same inhibiting effect on the proliferation of U87 cells with an IC50 of 0.56 mM. Interestingly, AaTs-1 was about two times more active than the anti-glioblastoma conventional chemotherapeutic drug, temozolomide (TMZ), and enhanced its efficacy on U87 cells. AaTs-1 showed a significant similarity with the synthetic peptide WKYMVm, an agonist of a G-coupled formyl-peptide receptor, FPRL-1, known to be involved in the proliferation of glioma cells. Interestingly, the tetrapeptide triggered the dephosphorylation of ERK, p38, and JNK kinases. It also enhanced the expression of p53 and FPRL-1, likely leading to the inhibition of the store operated calcium entry. Overall, our work uncovered AaTs-1 as a first natural potential FPRL-1 antagonist, which could be proposed as a promising target to develop new generation of innovative molecules used alone or in combination with TMZ to improve glioblastoma treatment response. Its chemical synthesis in non-limiting quantity represents a valuable advantage to design and develop low-cost active analogues to treat glioblastoma cancer.

TAMI-36. TAMEP ARE BRAIN TUMOR PARENCHYMAL CELLS CONTROLLING NEOPLASTIC ANGIOGENESIS AND PROGRESSION

Abstract Aggressive brain tumors like glioblastoma depend on support by their local environment and subsets of tumor-parenchymal cells may promote specific phases of disease-progression. We investigated the glioblastoma microenvironment with transgenic lineage-tracing models, intravital imaging, single-cell transcriptomics, immunofluorescence analysis as well as histopathology and characterized a previously unacknowledged population of tumor-associated cells with a myeloid-like expression profile (TAMEP) that transiently appeared during glioblastoma growth. TAMEP of mice and humans were identified with specific markers. Strikingly, TAMEP did not derive from microglia or peripheral monocytes but were generated by a fraction of CNS-resident, SOX2-positive progenitors. Abrogation of this progenitor cell-population, by conditional Sox2-knockout, drastically reduced glioblastoma-vascularization and -size. TAMEP manipulation profoundly altered vessel function and strongly attenuated the blood-tumor barrier. Hence, our data indicate TAMEP and their progenitors as new targets for glioblastoma therapy.

Targeting Non-coding RNA for Glioblastoma Therapy: The Challenge of Overcomes the Blood-Brain Barrier.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most malignant form of all primary brain tumors, and it is responsible for around 200,000 deaths each year worldwide. The standard therapy for GBM treatment includes surgical resection followed by temozolomide-based chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. With this treatment, the median survival rate of GBM patients is only 15 months after its initial diagnosis. Therefore, novel and better treatment modalities for GBM treatment are urgently needed. Mounting evidence indicates that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have critical roles as regulators of gene expression. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) are among the most studied ncRNAs in health and disease. Dysregulation of ncRNAs is observed in virtually all tumor types, including GBMs. Several dysregulated miRNAs and lncRNAs have been identified in GBM cell lines and GBM tumor samples. Some of them have been proposed as diagnostic and prognostic markers, and as targets for GBM treatment. Most ncRNA-based therapies use oligonucleotide RNA molecules which are normally of short life in circulation. Nanoparticles (NPs) have been designed to increase the half-life of oligonucleotide RNAs. An additional challenge faced not only by RNA oligonucleotides but for therapies designed for brain-related conditions, is the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The BBB is the anatomical barrier that protects the brain from undesirable agents. Although some NPs have been derivatized at their surface to cross the BBB, optimal NPs to deliver oligonucleotide RNA into GBM cells in the brain are currently unavailable. In this review, we describe first the current treatments for GBM therapy. Next, we discuss the most relevant miRNAs and lncRNAs suggested as targets for GBM therapy. Then, we compare the current drug delivery systems (nanocarriers/NPs) for RNA oligonucleotide delivery, the challenges faced to send drugs through the BBB, and the strategies to overcome this barrier. Finally, we categorize the critical points where research should be the focus in order to design optimal NPs for drug delivery into the brain; and thus move the Oligonucleotide RNA-based therapies from the bench to the clinical setting.

P-selectin axis plays a key role in microglia immunophenotype and glioblastoma progression

Glioblastoma (GB) is a highly invasive type of brain cancer exhibiting poor prognosis. As such, its microenvironment plays a crucial role in its progression. Among the brain stromal cells, the microglia were shown to facilitate GB invasion and immunosuppression. However, the reciprocal mechanisms by which GB cells alter microglia/macrophages behavior are not fully understood. We propose that these mechanisms involve adhesion molecules such as the Selectins family. These proteins are involved in immune modulation and cancer immunity. We show that P-selectin mediates microglia-enhanced GB proliferation and invasion by altering microglia/macrophages activation state. We demonstrate these findings by pharmacological and molecular inhibition of P-selectin which leads to reduced tumor growth and increased survival in GB mouse models. Our work sheds light on tumor-associated microglia/macrophage function and the mechanisms by which GB cells suppress the immune system and invade the brain, paving the way to exploit P-selectin as a target for GB therapy.

Role of Tumor-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary central nervous system tumor and one of the most lethal cancers worldwide, with morbidity of 5.26 per 100,000 population per year. These tumors are often associated with poor prognosis and terrible quality of life. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-bound nanoparticles secreted by cells and contain lipid, protein, DNA, mRNA, miRNA and other bioactive substances. EVs perform biological functions by binding or horizontal transfer of bioactive substances to target cell receptors. In recent years, EVs have been considered as possible targets for GBM therapy. A great many types of research demonstrated that EVs played a vital role in the GBM microenvironment, development, progression, angiogenesis, invasion, and even the diagnosis of GBM. Nevertheless, the exact molecular mechanisms and roles of EVs in these processes are unclear. It can provide the basis for GBM treatment in the future that clarifying the regulatory mechanism and related signal pathways of EVs derived from GBM and their clinical value in GBM diagnosis and treatment. In this paper, the research progress and clinical application prospects of GBM-derived EVs are reviewed and discussed.

Enzymatic Activity of CD73 Modulates Invasion of Gliomas via Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition-Like Reprogramming.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive malignant primary brain tumour in adulthood. Despite strong research efforts current treatment options have a limited impact on glioma stem-like cells (GSCs) which contribute to GBM formation, progression and chemoresistance. Invasive growth of GSCs is in part associated with epithelial–mesenchymal-like transition (EMT), a mechanism associated with CD73 in several cancers. Here, we show that CD73 regulates the EMT activator SNAIL1 and further investigate the role of enzymatic and non-enzymatic CD73 activity in GBM progression. Reduction of CD73 protein resulted in significant suppression of GSC viability, proliferation and clonogenicity, whereas CD73 enzymatic activity exhibited negative effects only on GSC invasion involving impaired downstream adenosine (ADO) signalling. Furthermore, application of phosphodiesterase inhibitor pentoxifylline, a potent immunomodulator, effectively inhibited ZEB1 and CD73 expression and significantly decreased viability, clonogenicity, and invasion of GSC in vitro cultures. Given the involvement of adenosine and A3 adenosine receptor in GSC invasion, we investigated the effect of the pharmacological inhibition of A3AR on GSC maintenance. Direct A3AR inhibition promoted apoptotic cell death and impaired the clonogenicity of GSC cultures. Taken together, our data indicate that CD73 is an exciting novel target in GBM therapy. Moreover, pharmacological interference, resulting in disturbed ADO signalling, provides new opportunities to innovate GBM therapy.

The predominant expression of cancer stem cell marker ALDH1A3 in tumor infiltrative area is associated with shorter overall survival of human glioblastoma

BackgroundALDH1A3 is a cancer stem cell marker in neoplasms including glioblastoma (GBM). However, the comprehensive role of ALDH1A3 in GBM remains unclear. This study attempted to investigate the expression of ALDH1A3 in human GBM tissues and its association with clinical parameters.MethodsThirty primary GBM and 9 control were enrolled in this study. ALDH1A3 mRNA and protein expression levels were detected by RT2-PCR and western blot, respectively. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining were performed to evaluate the regional and cellular expression manner of ALDH1A3. The association of ALDH1A3 expression with multiple clinical parameters was analyzed.ResultsALDH1A3 protein level, but not mRNA level, in a subgroup of GBM was significantly higher than that in the control group. ALDH1A3 immunoreactivity was detected heterogeneously in individual GBMs. Fifteen of 30 cases showed a positive of ALDH1A3 immunoreactivity which was predominantly observed in the tumor infiltrative area (TI). Double immunofluorescence staining revealed a co-localization of ALDH1A3 with GFAP in glial-shaped cells and in tumor cells. ALDH1A3 immunoreactivity was often merged with CD44, but not with CD68. Moreover, ALDH1A3 expression was positively associated with the tumor edema grade and inversely with overall survival (OS) (median OS: 16 months vs 10 months), but with neither MGMT promoter methylation status nor Ki67 index in GBM. An upregulation of ALDH1A3 was accompanied by a reduced expression of STAT3β and p-STAT3β.ConclusionsInter- and intra-tumoral heterogeneous expression of ALDH1A3 was exhibited in GBMs. A high immunoreactivity of ALDH1A3 in tumor infiltrative area was associated with shorter OS, especially in patients with MGMT promoter methylation. Our findings propose ALDH1A3 not only as a predictive biomarker but also as a potential target for personalized therapy of GBM.

RNF213 suppresses carcinogenesis in glioblastoma by affecting MAPK/JNK signaling pathway.

Glioblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in central nervous system. Due to absence of the mechanism underlying glioblastoma, the clinical outcome is poor. RNF213 is a ring finger protein and mutation in RNF213 gene is detected in cancers. But the role of RNF213 in glioblastoma is unknown. RNF213 expression was detected by qPCR, western blotting, IHC technology. RNF213 was overexpressed in plasmid pcDNA3.1. Assays including CCK-8, plate colony formation, wound healing, transwell and FITC/PI dye were used to detect cell behaviors. RNF213 was shown to express much lower in tumor tissues and in tumor cell lines compared to control. The patients with higher RNF213 expression displayed longer survival time. When RNF213 was overexpressed in U87MG cells, cell proliferation and colony formation were inhibited significantly. The ability of cell migration and invasion was also suppressed. FAC analysis demonstrated that cell apoptosis was increased after RNF213 overexpression. But cell cycle distribution was not affected by RNF213. Then the expression level of MEKK1, JNK, c-Jun, and cdc42 was decreased after RNF213 overexpression, but increased reversely when RNF213 was knocked down by RNAi technology. RNF213 suppresses carcinogenesis and affects MAPK/JNK signaling pathway in glioblastoma. This study suggests that RNF213 might be a promising target for therapy of glioblastoma.