1
|
Ciechomska IA, Wojnicki K, Wojtas B, Szadkowska P, Poleszak K, Kaza B, Jaskula K, Dawidczyk W, Czepko R, Banach M, Czapski B, Nauman P, Kotulska K, Grajkowska W, Roszkowski M, Czernicki T, Marchel A, Kaminska B. Exploring Novel Therapeutic Opportunities for Glioblastoma Using Patient-Derived Cell Cultures. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15051562. [PMID: 36900355 PMCID: PMC10000883 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15051562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastomas (GBM) are the most common, primary brain tumors in adults. Despite advances in neurosurgery and radio- and chemotherapy, the median survival of GBM patients is 15 months. Recent large-scale genomic, transcriptomic and epigenetic analyses have shown the cellular and molecular heterogeneity of GBMs, which hampers the outcomes of standard therapies. We have established 13 GBM-derived cell cultures from fresh tumor specimens and characterized them molecularly using RNA-seq, immunoblotting and immunocytochemistry. Evaluation of proneural (OLIG2, IDH1R132H, TP53 and PDGFRα), classical (EGFR) and mesenchymal markers (CHI3L1/YKL40, CD44 and phospho-STAT3), and the expression of pluripotency (SOX2, OLIG2, NESTIN) and differentiation (GFAP, MAP2, β-Tubulin III) markers revealed the striking intertumor heterogeneity of primary GBM cell cultures. Upregulated expression of VIMENTIN, N-CADHERIN and CD44 at the mRNA/protein levels suggested increased epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in most studied cell cultures. The effects of temozolomide (TMZ) or doxorubicin (DOX) were tested in three GBM-derived cell cultures with different methylation status of the MGMT promoter. Amongst TMZ- or DOX-treated cultures, the strongest accumulation of the apoptotic markers caspase 7 and PARP were found in WG4 cells with methylated MGMT, suggesting that its methylation status predicts vulnerability to both drugs. As many GBM-derived cells showed high EGFR levels, we tested the effects of AG1478, an EGFR inhibitor, on downstream signaling pathways. AG1478 caused decreased levels of phospho-STAT3, and thus inhibition of active STAT3 augmented antitumor effects of DOX and TMZ in cells with methylated and intermediate status of MGMT. Altogether, our findings show that GBM-derived cell cultures mimic the considerable tumor heterogeneity, and that identifying patient-specific signaling vulnerabilities can assist in overcoming therapy resistance, by providing personalized combinatorial treatment recommendations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iwona A. Ciechomska
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
- Correspondence: (I.A.C.); (B.K.)
| | - Kamil Wojnicki
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Bartosz Wojtas
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Paulina Szadkowska
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
- Postgraduate School of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Poleszak
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Beata Kaza
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Kinga Jaskula
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Wiktoria Dawidczyk
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ryszard Czepko
- Department of Neurosurgery, Scanmed S.A. St. Raphael Hospital, 30-693 Cracow, Poland
| | - Mariusz Banach
- Department of Neurosurgery, Scanmed S.A. St. Raphael Hospital, 30-693 Cracow, Poland
| | - Bartosz Czapski
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
- Postgraduate School of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Pawel Nauman
- Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Kotulska
- Department of Pathology, The Children’s Memorial Health Institute, 04-736 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Wieslawa Grajkowska
- Department of Pathology, The Children’s Memorial Health Institute, 04-736 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marcin Roszkowski
- Department of Pathology, The Children’s Memorial Health Institute, 04-736 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Czernicki
- Neurosurgery Department and Clinic, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Andrzej Marchel
- Neurosurgery Department and Clinic, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Bozena Kaminska
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
- Correspondence: (I.A.C.); (B.K.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lu X, Maturi NP, Jarvius M, Yildirim I, Dang Y, Zhao L, Xie Y, Tan EJ, Xing P, Larsson R, Fryknäs M, Uhrbom L, Chen X. Cell-lineage controlled epigenetic regulation in glioblastoma stem cells determines functionally distinct subgroups and predicts patient survival. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2236. [PMID: 35469026 PMCID: PMC9038925 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29912-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There is ample support for developmental regulation of glioblastoma stem cells. To examine how cell lineage controls glioblastoma stem cell function, we present a cross-species epigenome analysis of mouse and human glioblastoma stem cells. We analyze and compare the chromatin-accessibility landscape of nine mouse glioblastoma stem cell cultures of three defined origins and 60 patient-derived glioblastoma stem cell cultures by assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing. This separates the mouse cultures according to cell of origin and identifies three human glioblastoma stem cell clusters that show overlapping characteristics with each of the mouse groups, and a distribution along an axis of proneural to mesenchymal phenotypes. The epigenetic-based human glioblastoma stem cell clusters display distinct functional properties and can separate patient survival. Cross-species analyses reveals conserved epigenetic regulation of mouse and human glioblastoma stem cells. We conclude that epigenetic control of glioblastoma stem cells primarily is dictated by developmental origin which impacts clinically relevant glioblastoma stem cell properties and patient survival. The epigenetic regulation of glioblastoma stem cell (GSC) function remains poorly understood. Here, the authors compare the chromatin accessibility landscape of GSC cultures from mice and patients and suggest that the epigenome of GSCs is cell lineage-regulated and could predict patient survival.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xi Lu
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-75108, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Naga Prathyusha Maturi
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University and Science for Life Laboratory, Rudbeck Laboratory, SE-75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Malin Jarvius
- Department of Medical Sciences, Cancer Pharmacology and Computational Medicine, Uppsala University and Science for Life Laboratory, SE-75185, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 591, SE-751 24, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Irem Yildirim
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University and Science for Life Laboratory, Rudbeck Laboratory, SE-75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Yonglong Dang
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-75108, Uppsala, Sweden.,Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Linxuan Zhao
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-75108, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Yuan Xie
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University and Science for Life Laboratory, Rudbeck Laboratory, SE-75185, Uppsala, Sweden.,Shaanxi Normal University, College of Life Sciences, Xi'an, 710119, China
| | - E-Jean Tan
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University and Science for Life Laboratory, Rudbeck Laboratory, SE-75185, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, SE-75236, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Pengwei Xing
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-75108, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Rolf Larsson
- Department of Medical Sciences, Cancer Pharmacology and Computational Medicine, Uppsala University and Science for Life Laboratory, SE-75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mårten Fryknäs
- Department of Medical Sciences, Cancer Pharmacology and Computational Medicine, Uppsala University and Science for Life Laboratory, SE-75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lene Uhrbom
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University and Science for Life Laboratory, Rudbeck Laboratory, SE-75185, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Xingqi Chen
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-75108, Uppsala, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Gelatin methacrylate hydrogels culture model for glioblastoma cells enriches for mesenchymal-like state and models interactions with immune cells. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17727. [PMID: 34489494 PMCID: PMC8421368 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97059-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma is the most lethal primary malignant brain tumor in adults. Simplified two-dimensional (2D) cell culture and neurospheres in vitro models fail to recapitulate the complexity of the tumor microenvironment, limiting its ability to predict therapeutic response. Three-dimensional (3D) scaffold-based models have emerged as a promising alternative for addressing these concerns. One such 3D system is gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) hydrogels, and we aimed to understand the suitability of using this system to mimic treatment-resistant glioblastoma cells that reside in specific niches. We characterized the phenotype of patient-derived glioma cells cultured in GelMA hydrogels (3D-GMH) for their tumorigenic properties using invasion and chemoresponse assays. In addition, we used integrated single-cell and spatial transcriptome analysis to compare cells cultured in 3D-GMH to neoplastic cells in vivo. Finally, we assessed tumor-immune cell interactions with a macrophage infiltration assay and a cytokine array. We show that the 3D-GMH system enriches treatment-resistant mesenchymal cells that are not represented in neurosphere cultures. Cells cultured in 3D-GMH resemble a mesenchymal-like cellular phenotype found in perivascular and hypoxic regions and recruit macrophages by secreting cytokines, a hallmark of the mesenchymal phenotype. Our 3D-GMH model effectively mimics the phenotype of glioma cells that are found in the perivascular and hypoxic niches of the glioblastoma core in situ, in contrast to the neurosphere cultures that enrich cells of the infiltrative edge of the tumor. This contrast highlights the need for due diligence in selecting an appropriate model when designing a study's objectives.
Collapse
|
4
|
If Artificial In Vitro Microenvironment Can Influence Tumor Drug Resistance Network via Modulation of lncRNA Expression?-Comparative Analysis of Glioblastoma-Derived Cell Culture Models and Initial Tumors In Vivo. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2020; 42:1005-1020. [PMID: 33245508 PMCID: PMC8942942 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-020-00991-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The tumor resistance of glioblastoma cells in vivo is thought to be enhanced by their heterogeneity and plasticity, which are extremely difficult to curb in vitro. The external microenvironment shapes the molecular profile of tumor culture models, thus influencing potential therapy response. Our study examines the expression profile of selected lncRNAs involved in tumor resistance network in three different glioblastoma-derived models commonly utilized for testing drug response in vitro. Differential expression analysis revealed significant divergence in lncRNA profile between parental tumors and tumor-derived cell cultures in vitro, including the following particles: MALAT1, CASC2, H19, TUSC7, XIST, RP11-838N2.4, DLX6-AS1, GLIDR, MIR210HG, SOX2-OT. The examined lncRNAs influence the phenomenon of tumor resistance via their downstream target genes through a variety of processes: multi-drug resistance, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, autophagy, cell proliferation and viability, and DNA repair. A comparison of in vivo and in vitro expression identified differences in the levels of potential lncRNA targets, with the highest discrepancies detected for the MDR1, LRP1, BCRP and MRP1 genes. Co-expression analyses confirmed the following interrelations: MALAT1-TYMS, MALAT1-MRP5, H19-ZEB1, CASC2-VIM, CASC2-N-CAD; they additionally suggest the possibility of MALAT1-BCRP, MALAT1-mTOR and TUSC7-PTEN interconnections in glioblastoma. Although our results clearly demonstrate that the artificial ex vivo microenvironment changes the profile of lncRNAs related to tumor resistance, it is difficult to anticipate the final phenotypic effect, since this phenomenon is a complex one that involves a network of molecular interactions underlying a variety of cellular processes.
Collapse
|
5
|
Rackov G, Iegiani G, Uribe D, Quezada C, Belda-Iniesta C, Escobedo-Lucea C, Silva A, Puig P, González-Rumayor V, Ayuso-Sacido Á. Potential Therapeutic Effects of the Neural Stem Cell-Targeting Antibody Nilo1 in Patient-Derived Glioblastoma Stem Cells. Front Oncol 2020; 10:1665. [PMID: 32974206 PMCID: PMC7468525 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.01665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most devastating and least treatable brain tumor with median survival <15 months and extremely high recurrence rates. Promising results of immune checkpoint blockade obtained from pre-clinical studies in mice did not translate to clinic, and new strategies are urgently needed, particularly those targeting GBM stem cells (GSCs) that are held responsible for drug resistance and tumor recurrence. Patient-derived GSC cultures are critical for finding effective brain tumor therapies. Here, we investigated the ability of the recently described monoclonal antibody Nilo1 to specifically recognize GSCs isolated from GBM surgical samples. We employed five patient-derived GSC cultures with different stemness marker expression and differentiation potential, able to recapitulate original tumors when xenotransplanted in vivo. To answer whether Nilo1 has any functional effects in patient-derived GSCs lines, we treated the cells with Nilo1 in vitro and analyzed cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, sphere formation, as well as the expression of stem vs. differentiation markers. All tested GSCs stained positively for Nilo1, and the ability of Nilo1 to recognize GSCs strongly relied on their stem-like phenotype. Our results showed that a subset of patient-derived GSCs were sensitive to Nilo1 treatment. In three GSC lines Nilo1 triggered differentiation accompanied by the induction of p21. Most strikingly, in one GSC line Nilo1 completely abrogated self-renewal and led to Bax-associated apoptosis. Our data suggest that Nilo1 targets a molecule functionally relevant for stemness maintenance and pinpoint Nilo1 as a novel antibody-based therapeutical strategy to be used either alone or in combination with cytotoxic drugs for GSC targeting. Further pre-clinical studies are needed to validate the effectiveness of GSC-specific Nilo1 targeting in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gorjana Rackov
- IMDEA Nanoscience, Madrid, Spain.,Fundación de Investigación HM Hospitales, Madrid, Spain
| | - Giorgia Iegiani
- Istitute of Applied Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, San Pablo CEU University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Uribe
- Molecular Pathology Laboratory, Institute of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Claudia Quezada
- Molecular Pathology Laboratory, Institute of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | | | - Carmen Escobedo-Lucea
- Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Augusto Silva
- Market Access Department, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Ángel Ayuso-Sacido
- IMDEA Nanoscience, Madrid, Spain.,Brain Tumor Laboratory, Fundación Vithas, Hospitales Vithas, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigaciones Biosanitarias, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Madrid, Spain.,Formerly, Fundación de Investigación HM Hospitales, Institute of Applied Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, San Pablo CEU University, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|