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Lin X, Gao W, Huang C, Wu M, She X. Causal relationship between inflammatory proteins and glioblastoma: a two-sample bi‑directional mendelian randomization study. Front Genet 2024; 15:1391921. [PMID: 38784036 PMCID: PMC11111920 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1391921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Observational studies have indicated a potential correlation between glioblastoma and circulating inflammatory proteins. Further investigation is required to establish a causal relationship between these two factors. Methods: We performed a Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary of 91 circulating inflammation-related proteins (N = 14,824) to assess their causal impact on glioblastoma. The GWAS summary data for glioblastoma included 243 cases and 287,137 controls. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used as the primary analytical method to assess causality. Four additional MR methods [simple mode, MR-Egger, weighted median, and weighted mode] were used to supplement the IVW results. Furthermore, several sensitivity analyses were performed to assess heterogeneity, horizontal pleiotropy, and stability. Reverse MR analysis was also performed. glioblastoma transcriptomic data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were analyzed to validate the findings obtained through MR, while pathway and functional enrichment analyses were conducted to predict the potential underlying mechanisms. Results: Our findings from employing the inverse variance weighted method in our forward MR analysis provide robust evidence supporting a potential association between glioblastoma and elevated levels of Cystatin D, as well as decreased levels of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) in the circulation. Moreover, our reverse MR analysis revealed that glioblastoma may contribute to increased concentrations of C-X-C motif chemokine 9 (CXCL9) and Interleukin-33 (IL-33) in the bloodstream. Transcriptomic analysis showed that FGF21 expression was inversely associated with the risk of developing glioblastoma, whereas an increased risk was linked to elevated levels of CXCL9 and IL-33. Pathway and functional enrichment analyses suggested that Cystatin D might exert its effects on glioblastoma through intracellular protein transport, whereas FGF21 might affect glioblastoma via glucose response mechanisms. Conclusion: These results indicate that FGF21 is a significant factor in glioblastoma susceptibility. Glioblastoma also affects the expression of inflammatory proteins such as C-X-C motif chemokine 9 and Interleukin-33, providing new insights into the mechanisms of glioblastoma genesis and clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Lin
- Department of Pathology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangsha, Hunan, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Wei Gao
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Chen Huang
- Center of Basic Medical Research, Institute of Medical Innovation and Research, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Minghua Wu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xiaoling She
- Department of Pathology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangsha, Hunan, China
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Chan TYH, Wong JSY, Kiang KMY, Sun CWY, Leung GKK. The duality of CXCR3 in glioblastoma: unveiling autocrine and paracrine mechanisms for novel therapeutic approaches. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:835. [PMID: 38104126 PMCID: PMC10725418 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06354-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive brain tumor associated with limited therapeutic options and a poor prognosis. CXCR3, a chemokine receptor, serves dual autocrine-paracrine functions in cancer. Despite gaps in our understanding of the functional role of the CXCR3 receptor in GBM, it has been shown to hold promise as a therapeutic target for the treatment of GBM. Existing clinical therapeutics and vaccines targeting CXCR3 ligand expression associated with the CXCR3 axes have also shown anti-tumorigenic effects in GBM. This review summarizes existing evidence on the oncogenic function of CXCR3 and its ligands CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11, in GBM, and examines the controversies concerning the immunomodulatory functions of the CXCR3 receptor, including immune T cell recruitment, polarization, and positioning. The mechanisms underlying monotherpies and combination therapies targeting the CXCR3 pathways are discussed. A better understanding of the CXCR3 axes may lead to the development of strategies for overcoming the limitations of existing immunotherapies for GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis Yui Hei Chan
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jenny Sum Yee Wong
- Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Karrie Mei-Yee Kiang
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Cherry Won Yuet Sun
- Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
| | - Gilberto Ka-Kit Leung
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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