Tenascin C promotes cancer cell plasticity in mesenchymal glioblastoma

Modeling the precise interaction of glioblastoma with human brain region-specific organoids

Glioblastoma is a highly aggressive malignant tumor of the central nervous system, but the interaction between glioblastoma and different types of neurons remains unclear. Here, we established a co-culture model in vitro using 3D printed molds with microchannels, in which glioblastoma organoids (GB), dorsal forebrain organoids (DO, mainly composed of excitatory neurons), and ventral forebrain organoids (VO, mainly composed of inhibitory neurons) were assembled. Our results indicate that DO has a greater impact on altered gene expression profiles of GB, resulting in increased invasive potential. GB cells preferentially invaded DO along axons, whereas this phenomenon was not observed in VO. Furthermore, GB cells selectively inhibited neurite outgrowth in DOs and reduced the expression of the vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT), leading to neuronal hyperexcitability. By revealing how glioblastoma interacts with brain cells, our study provides a more comprehensive understanding of this disease.

Crosstalk between glioblastoma and tumor microenvironment drives proneural-mesenchymal transition through ligand-receptor interactions

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common intrinsic and aggressive primary brain tumor in adults, with a median survival of approximately 15 months. GBM heterogeneity is considered responsible for the treatment resistance and unfavorable prognosis. Proneural-mesenchymal transition (PMT) represents GBM malignant progression and recurrence, which might be a breakthrough to understand GBM heterogeneity and overcome treatment resistance. PMT is a complicated process influenced by crosstalk between GBM and tumor microenvironment, depending on intricate ligand-receptor interactions. In this review, we summarize the autocrine and paracrine pathways in the GBM microenvironment and related ligand-receptor interactions inducing PMT. We also discuss the current therapies targeting the PMT-related autocrine and paracrine pathways. Together, this review offers a comprehensive understanding of the failure of GBM-targeted therapy and ideas for future tendencies of GBM treatment.

Glioma Cells Secrete Collagen VI to Facilitate Invasion

While glioblastoma (GBM) progression is associated with extensive extracellular matrix (ECM) secretion, the causal contributions of ECM secretion to invasion remain unclear. Here we investigate these contributions by combining engineered materials, proteomics, analysis of patient data, and a model of bevacizumab-resistant GBM. We find that GBM cells cultured in engineered 3D hyaluronic acid hydrogels secrete ECM prior to invasion, particularly in the absence of exogenous ECM ligands. Proteomic measurements reveal extensive secretion of collagen VI, and collagen VI-associated transcripts are correspondingly enriched in microvascular proliferation regions of human GBMs. We further show that bevacizumab-resistant GBM cells deposit more collagen VI than their responsive counterparts, which is associated with marked cell-ECM stiffening. COL6A3 deletion in GBM cells reduces invasion, β-catenin signaling, and expression of mesenchymal markers, and these effects are amplified in hypoxia. Our studies strongly implicate GBM cell-derived collagen VI in microenvironmental remodeling to facilitate invasion.

Schnurri-3 drives tumor growth and invasion in cancer cells expressing interleukin-13 receptor alpha 2

Interleukin 13 receptor alpha 2 (IL13Rα2) is a relevant therapeutic target in glioblastoma (GBM) and other tumors associated with tumor growth and invasion. In a previous study, we demonstrated that protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is a key mediator of the IL-13/IL13Rα2 signaling pathway. PTP1B regulates cancer cell invasion through Src activation. However, PTP1B/Src downstream signaling mechanisms that modulate the invasion process remain unclear. In the present research, we have characterized the PTP1B interactome and the PTP1B-associated phosphoproteome after IL-13 treatment, in different cellular contexts, using proteomic strategies. PTP1B was associated with proteins involved in signal transduction, vesicle transport, and with multiple proteins from the NF-κB signaling pathway, including Tenascin-C (TNC). PTP1B participated with NF-κB in TNC-mediated proliferation and invasion. Analysis of the phosphorylation patterns obtained after PTP1B activation with IL-13 showed increased phosphorylation of the transcription factor Schnurri-3 (SHN3), a reported competitor of NF-κB. SHN3 silencing caused a potent inhibition in cell invasion and proliferation, associated with a down-regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, an extensive decline of MMP9 expression and the subsequent inhibition of tumor growth and metastasis in mouse models. Regarding clinical value, high expression of SHN3 was associated with poor survival in GBM, showing a significant correlation with the classical and mesenchymal subtypes. In CRC, SHN3 expression showed a preferential association with the mesenchymal subtypes CMS4 and CRIS-B. Moreover, SHN3 expression strongly correlated with IL13Rα2 and MMP9-associated poor prognosis in different cancers. In conclusion, we have uncovered the participation of SNH3 in the IL-13/IL13Rα2/PTP1B pathway to promote tumor growth and invasion. These findings support a potential therapeutic value for SHN3.

Define cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment: new opportunities in cancer immunotherapy and advances in clinical trials

Despite centuries since the discovery and study of cancer, cancer is still a lethal and intractable health issue worldwide. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have gained much attention as a pivotal component of the tumor microenvironment. The versatility and sophisticated mechanisms of CAFs in facilitating cancer progression have been elucidated extensively, including promoting cancer angiogenesis and metastasis, inducing drug resistance, reshaping the extracellular matrix, and developing an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Owing to their robust tumor-promoting function, CAFs are considered a promising target for oncotherapy. However, CAFs are a highly heterogeneous group of cells. Some subpopulations exert an inhibitory role in tumor growth, which implies that CAF-targeting approaches must be more precise and individualized. This review comprehensively summarize the origin, phenotypical, and functional heterogeneity of CAFs. More importantly, we underscore advances in strategies and clinical trials to target CAF in various cancers, and we also summarize progressions of CAF in cancer immunotherapy.

Glioblastoma modeling with 3D organoids: progress and challenges

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive adult primary brain tumor with nearly universal treatment resistance and recurrence. The mainstay of therapy remains maximal safe surgical resection followed by concurrent radiation therapy and temozolomide chemotherapy. Despite intensive investigation, alternative treatment options, such as immunotherapy or targeted molecular therapy, have yielded limited success to achieve long-term remission. This difficulty is partly due to the lack of pre-clinical models that fully recapitulate the intratumoral and intertumoral heterogeneity of GBM and the complex tumor microenvironment. Recently, GBM 3D organoids originating from resected patient tumors, genetic manipulation of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived brain organoids and bio-printing or fusion with non-malignant tissues have emerged as novel culture systems to portray the biology of GBM. Here, we highlight several methodologies for generating GBM organoids and discuss insights gained using such organoid models compared to classic modeling approaches using cell lines and xenografts. We also outline limitations of current GBM 3D organoids, most notably the difficulty retaining the tumor microenvironment, and discuss current efforts for improvements. Finally, we propose potential applications of organoid models for a deeper mechanistic understanding of GBM and therapeutic development.

Modeling glioblastoma complexity with organoids for personalized treatments

Glioblastoma (GBM) remains a fatal diagnosis despite the current standard of care of maximal surgical resection, radiation, and temozolomide (TMZ) therapy. One aspect that impedes drug development is the lack of an appropriate model representative of the complexity of patient tumors. Brain organoids derived from cell culture techniques provide a robust, easily manipulatable, and high-throughput model for GBM. In this review, we highlight recent progress in developing GBM organoids (GBOs) with a focus on generating the GBM microenvironment (i.e., stem cells, vasculature, and immune cells) recapitulating human disease. Finally, we also discuss the use of organoids as a screening tool in drug development for GBM.

Cellular senescence in malignant cells promotes tumor progression in mouse and patient Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults, yet it remains refractory to systemic therapy. Elimination of senescent cells has emerged as a promising new treatment approach against cancer. Here, we investigated the contribution of senescent cells to GBM progression. Senescent cells are identified in patient and mouse GBMs. Partial removal of p16^Ink4a-expressing malignant senescent cells, which make up less than 7 % of the tumor, modifies the tumor ecosystem and improves the survival of GBM-bearing female mice. By combining single cell and bulk RNA sequencing, immunohistochemistry and genetic knockdowns, we identify the NRF2 transcription factor as a determinant of the senescent phenotype. Remarkably, our mouse senescent transcriptional signature and underlying mechanisms of senescence are conserved in patient GBMs, in whom higher senescence scores correlate with shorter survival times. These findings suggest that senolytic drug therapy may be a beneficial adjuvant therapy for patients with GBM.

The complex interactions between the cellular and non-cellular components of the brain tumor microenvironmental landscape and their therapeutic implications

Glioblastoma (GBM), an aggressive high-grade glial tumor, is resistant to therapy and has a poor prognosis due to its universal recurrence rate. GBM cells interact with the non-cellular components in the tumor microenvironment (TME), facilitating their rapid growth, evolution, and invasion into the normal brain. Herein we discuss the complexity of the interactions between the cellular and non-cellular components of the TME and advances in the field as a whole. While the stroma of non-central nervous system (CNS) tissues is abundant in fibrillary collagens, laminins, and fibronectin, the normal brain extracellular matrix (ECM) predominantly includes proteoglycans, glycoproteins, and glycosaminoglycans, with fibrillary components typically found only in association with the vasculature. However, recent studies have found that in GBMs, the microenvironment evolves into a more complex array of components, with upregulated collagen gene expression and aligned fibrillary ECM networks. The interactions of glioma cells with the ECM and the degradation of matrix barriers are crucial for both single-cell and collective invasion into neighboring brain tissue. ECM-regulated mechanisms also contribute to immune exclusion, resulting in a major challenge to immunotherapy delivery and efficacy. Glioma cells chemically and physically control the function of their environment, co-opting complex signaling networks for their own benefit, resulting in radio- and chemo-resistance, tumor recurrence, and cancer progression. Targeting these interactions is an attractive strategy for overcoming therapy resistance, and we will discuss recent advances in preclinical studies, current clinical trials, and potential future clinical applications. In this review, we also provide a comprehensive discussion of the complexities of the interconnected cellular and non-cellular components of the microenvironmental landscape of brain tumors to guide the development of safe and effective therapeutic strategies against brain cancer.

Advances on the roles of tenascin-C in cancer

The roles of the extracellular matrix molecule tenascin-C (TNC) in health and disease have been extensively reviewed since its discovery over 40 years ago. Here, we will describe recent insights into the roles of TNC in tumorigenesis, angiogenesis, immunity and metastasis. In addition to high levels of expression in tumors, and during chronic inflammation, and bacterial and viral infection, TNC is also expressed in lymphoid organs. This supports potential roles for TNC in immunity control. Advances using murine models with engineered TNC levels were instrumental in the discovery of important functions of TNC as a danger-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) molecule in tissue repair and revealed multiple TNC actions in tumor progression. TNC acts through distinct mechanisms on many different cell types with immune cells coming into focus as important targets of TNC in cancer. We will describe how this knowledge could be exploited for cancer disease management, in particular for immune (checkpoint) therapies.

Matricellular protein tenascin C: Implications in glioma progression, gliomagenesis, and treatment

Matricellular proteins are nonstructural extracellular matrix components that are expressed at low levels in normal adult tissues and are upregulated during development or under pathological conditions. Tenascin C (TNC), a matricellular protein, is a hexameric and multimodular glycoprotein with different molecular forms that is produced by alternative splicing and post-translational modifications. Malignant gliomas are the most common and aggressive primary brain cancer of the central nervous system. Despite continued advances in multimodal therapy, the prognosis of gliomas remains poor. The main reasons for such poor outcomes are the heterogeneity and adaptability caused by the tumor microenvironment and glioma stem cells. It has been shown that TNC is present in the glioma microenvironment and glioma stem cell niches, and that it promotes malignant properties, such as neovascularization, proliferation, invasiveness, and immunomodulation. TNC is abundantly expressed in neural stem cell niches and plays a role in neurogenesis. Notably, there is increasing evidence showing that neural stem cells in the subventricular zone may be the cells of origin of gliomas. Here, we review the evidence regarding the role of TNC in glioma progression, propose a potential association between TNC and gliomagenesis, and summarize its clinical applications. Collectively, TNC is an appealing focus for advancing our understanding of gliomas.

miRNome and Proteome Profiling of Small Extracellular Vesicles Secreted by Human Glioblastoma Cell Lines and Primary Cancer Stem Cells

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive brain tumor in adults. Despite available therapeutic interventions, it is very difficult to treat, and a cure is not yet available. The intra-tumoral GBM heterogeneity is a crucial factor contributing to poor clinical outcomes. GBM derives from a small heterogeneous population of cancer stem cells (CSCs). In cancer tissue, CSCs are concentrated within the so-called niches, where they progress from a slowly proliferating phase. CSCs, as most tumor cells, release extracellular vesicles (EVs) into the surrounding microenvironment. To explore the role of EVs in CSCs and GBM tumor cells, we investigated the miRNA and protein content of the small EVs (sEVs) secreted by two GBM-established cell lines and by GBM primary CSCs using omics analysis. Our data indicate that GBM-sEVs are selectively enriched for miRNAs that are known to display tumor suppressor activity, while their protein cargo is enriched for oncoproteins and tumor-associated proteins. Conversely, among the most up-regulated miRNAs in CSC-sEVs, we also found pro-tumor miRNAs and proteins related to stemness, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. Collectively, our findings support the hypothesis that sEVs selectively incorporate different miRNAs and proteins belonging both to fundamental processes (e.g., cell proliferation, cell death, stemness) as well as to more specialized ones (e.g., EMT, membrane docking, cell junction organization, ncRNA processing).

Differentiated glioma cell-derived Fibromodulin activates Integrin-dependent Notch signaling in endothelial cells to promote tumor angiogenesis and growth

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) alone can initiate and maintain tumors, but the function of non-cancer stem cells (non-CSCs) that form the tumor bulk remains poorly understood. Proteomic analysis showed a higher abundance of the extracellular matrix small leucine-rich proteoglycan fibromodulin (FMOD) in the conditioned medium of differentiated glioma cells (DGCs), the equivalent of glioma non-CSCs, compared to that of glioma stem-like cells (GSCs). DGCs silenced for FMOD fail to cooperate with co-implanted GSCs to promote tumor growth. FMOD downregulation neither affects GSC growth and differentiation nor DGC growth and reprogramming in vitro. DGC-secreted FMOD promotes angiogenesis by activating integrin-dependent Notch signaling in endothelial cells. Furthermore, conditional silencing of FMOD in newly generated DGCs in vivo inhibits the growth of GSC-initiated tumors due to poorly developed vasculature and increases mouse survival. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that DGC-secreted FMOD promotes glioma tumor angiogenesis and growth through paracrine signaling in endothelial cells and identifies a DGC-produced protein as a potential therapeutic target in glioma.

Epigenetic Underpinnings of Inflammation: A Key to Unlock the Tumor Microenvironment in Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant brain tumor in adults, and immunotherapies and genetic therapies for GBM have evolved dramatically over the past decade, but GBM therapy is still facing a dilemma due to the high recurrence rate. The inflammatory microenvironment is a general signature of tumors that accelerates epigenetic changes in GBM and helps tumors avoid immunological surveillance. GBM tumor cells and glioma-associated microglia/macrophages are the primary contributors to the inflammatory condition, meanwhile the modification of epigenetic events including DNA methylation, non-coding RNAs, and histone methylation and deacetylases involved in this pathological process of GBM, finally result in exacerbating the proliferation, invasion, and migration of GBM. On the other hand, histone deacetylase inhibitors, DNA methyltransferases inhibitors, and RNA interference could reverse the inflammatory landscapes and inhibit GBM growth and invasion. Here, we systematically review the inflammatory-associated epigenetic changes and regulations in the microenvironment of GBM, aiming to provide a comprehensive epigenetic profile underlying the recognition of inflammation in GBM.

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.

Proteomic analysis distinguishes extracellular vesicles produced by cancerous versus healthy pancreatic organoids

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are produced and released by both healthy and malignant cells and bear markers indicative of ongoing biological processes. In the present study we utilized high resolution flow cytometry to detect EVs in the plasma of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and in the supernatants of PDAC and healthy control (HC) pancreatic organoid cultures. Using ultrafiltration and size exclusion chromatography, PDAC and HC pancreatic organoid EVs were isolated for mass spectrometry analysis. Proteomic and functional protein network analysis showed a striking distinction in that EV proteins profiled in pancreatic cancer organoids were involved in vesicular transport and tumorigenesis while EV proteins in healthy organoids were involved in cellular homeostasis. Thus, the most abundant proteins identified in either case represented non-overlapping cellular programs. Tumor-promoting candidates LAMA5, SDCBP and TENA were consistently upregulated in PDAC EVs. Validation of specific markers for PDAC EVs versus healthy pancreatic EVs will provide the biomarkers and enhanced sensitivity necessary to monitor early disease or disease progression, with or without treatment. Moreover, disease-associated changes in EV protein profiles provide an opportunity to investigate alterations in cellular programming with disease progression.

Extracellular vesicle proteomes of two transmissible cancers of Tasmanian devils reveal tenascin-C as a serum-based differential diagnostic biomarker

The iconic Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is endangered due to the transmissible cancer Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD), of which there are two genetically independent subtypes (DFT1 and DFT2). While DFT1 and DFT2 can be differentially diagnosed using tumour biopsies, there is an urgent need to develop less-invasive biomarkers that can detect DFTD and distinguish between subtypes. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), the nano-sized membrane-enclosed vesicles present in most biofluids, represent a valuable resource for biomarker discovery. Here, we characterized the proteome of EVs from cultured DFTD cells using data-independent acquisition-mass spectrometry and an in-house spectral library of > 1500 proteins. EVs from both DFT1 and DFT2 cell lines expressed higher levels of proteins associated with focal adhesion functions. Furthermore, hallmark proteins of epithelial-mesenchymal transition were enriched in DFT2 EVs relative to DFT1 EVs. These findings were validated in EVs derived from serum samples, revealing that the mesenchymal marker tenascin-C was also enriched in EVs derived from the serum of devils infected with DFT2 relative to those infected with DFT1 and healthy controls. This first EV-based investigation of DFTD increases our understanding of the cancers' EVs and their possible involvement in DFTD progression, such as metastasis. Finally, we demonstrated the potential of EVs to differentiate between DFT1 and DFT2, highlighting their potential use as less-invasive liquid biopsies for the Tasmanian devil.

Multiple Antitumor Molecular Mechanisms Are Activated by a Fully Synthetic and Stabilized Pharmaceutical Product Delivering the Active Compound Sulforaphane (SFX-01) in Preclinical Model of Human Glioblastoma

Frequent relapses and therapeutic resistance make the management of glioblastoma (GBM, grade IV glioma), extremely difficult. Therefore, it is necessary to develop new pharmacological compounds to be used as a single treatment or in combination with current therapies in order to improve their effectiveness and reduce cytotoxicity for non-tumor cells. SFX-01 is a fully synthetic and stabilized pharmaceutical product containing the α-cyclodextrin that delivers the active compound 1-isothiocyanato-4-methyl-sulfinylbutane (SFN) and maintains biological activities of SFN. In this study, we verified whether SFX-01 was active in GBM preclinical models. Our data demonstrate that SFX-01 reduced cell proliferation and increased cell death in GBM cell lines and patient-derived glioma initiating cells (GICs) with a stem cell phenotype. The antiproliferative effects of SFX-01 were associated with a reduction in the stemness of GICs and reversion of neural-to-mesenchymal trans-differentiation (PMT) closely related to epithelial-to-mesenchymal trans-differentiation (EMT) of epithelial tumors. Commonly, PMT reversion decreases the invasive capacity of tumor cells and increases the sensitivity to pharmacological and instrumental therapies. SFX-01 induced caspase-dependent apoptosis, through both mitochondrion-mediated intrinsic and death-receptor-associated extrinsic pathways. Here, we demonstrate the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) through mediating the reduction in the activity of essential molecular pathways, such as PI3K/Akt/mTOR, ERK, and STAT-3. SFX-01 also reduced the in vivo tumor growth of subcutaneous xenografts and increased the disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS), when tested in orthotopic intracranial GBM models. These effects were associated with reduced expression of HIF1α which, in turn, down-regulates neo-angiogenesis. So, SFX-01 may have potent anti-glioma effects, regulating important aspects of the biology of this neoplasia, such as hypoxia, stemness, and EMT reversion, which are commonly activated in this neoplasia and are responsible for therapeutic resistance and glioma recurrence. SFX-01 deserves to be considered as an emerging anticancer agent for the treatment of GBM. The possible radio- and chemo sensitization potential of SFX-01 should also be evaluated in further preclinical and clinical studies.

Exploring the longitudinal glioma microenvironment landscape uncovers reprogrammed pro-tumorigenic neutrophils in the bone marrow

Recent multi-omics studies show different immune tumor microenvironment (TME) compositions in glioblastoma (GBM). However, temporal comprehensive knowledge of the TME from initiation of the disease remains sparse. We use Cre recombinase (Cre)-inducible lentiviral murine GBM models to compare the cellular evolution of the immune TME in tumors initiated from different oncogenic drivers. We show that neutrophils infiltrate early during tumor progression primarily in the mesenchymal GBM model. Depleting neutrophils in vivo at the onset of disease accelerates tumor growth and reduces the median overall survival time of mice. We show that, as a tumor progresses, bone marrow-derived neutrophils are skewed toward a phenotype associated with pro-tumorigenic processes. Our findings suggest that GBM can remotely regulate systemic myeloid differentiation in the bone marrow to generate neutrophils pre-committed to a tumor-supportive phenotype. This work reveals plasticity in the systemic immune host microenvironment, suggesting an additional point of intervention in GBM treatment.

Gene Expression Analysis Provides New Insights into the Mechanism of Intramuscular Fat Formation in Japanese Black Cattle

Japanese Black cattle (Japanese Wagyu) have a unique phenotype in which ectopic intramuscular fat accumulates in skeletal muscle, producing finely marbled beef. However, the mechanism of intramuscular fat formation in Japanese Black cattle remains unclear. To investigate the key genes involved in intramuscular fat accumulation, we comprehensively analyzed mRNA levels in subcutaneous and intramuscular fat tissues using RNA sequence (RNA-seq) analysis, which detected 27,606 genes. We identified eight key genes, namely carboxypeptidase E, tenascin C, transgelin, collagen type IV alpha 5 (COL4A5), cysteine and glycine-rich protein 2, PDZ, and LIM domain 3, phosphatase 1 regulatory inhibitor subunit 14A, and regulator of calcineurin 2. These genes were highly and specifically expressed in intramuscular fat tissue. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed a collagen network, including COL4A5, in the basement membrane around the intramuscular fat tissue. Moreover, pathway analysis revealed that, in intramuscular fat tissue, differentially expressed genes are related to cell adhesion, proliferation, and cancer pathways. Furthermore, pathway analysis showed that the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and small GTPases regulators RASGRP3, ARHGEF26, ARHGAP10, ARHGAP24, and DLC were upregulated in intramuscular fat. Our study suggests that these genes are involved in intramuscular fat formation in Japanese Black cattle.

P32-specific CAR T cells with dual antitumor and antiangiogenic therapeutic potential in gliomas

Glioblastoma is considered one of the most aggressive malignancies in adult and pediatric patients. Despite decades of research no curative treatment is available and it thus remains associated with a very dismal prognosis. Although recent pre-clinical and clinical studies have demonstrated the feasibility of chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) T cell immunotherapeutic approach in glioblastoma, tumor heterogeneity and antigen loss remain among one of the most important challenges to be addressed. In this study, we identify p32/gC1qR/HABP/C1qBP to be specifically expressed on the surface of glioma cells, making it a suitable tumor associated antigen for redirected CAR T cell therapy. We generate p32 CAR T cells and find them to recognize and specifically eliminate p32 expressing glioma cells and tumor derived endothelial cells in vitro and to control tumor growth in orthotopic syngeneic and xenograft mouse models. Thus, p32 CAR T cells may serve as a therapeutic option for glioblastoma patients.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has been proposed as a promising approach for treating glioblastoma. Here the authors show that p32 is expressed in murine and human glioma and that p32-directed CAR-T cells promote anti-tumor responses in preclinical models by targeting glioma cells and tumor derived endothelial cells.

Mechanisms of Invasion in Glioblastoma: Extracellular Matrix, Ca2+ Signaling, and Glutamate

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and malignant form of primary brain tumor with a median survival time of 14–16 months in GBM patients. Surgical treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy may help increase survival by removing GBM from the brain. However, complete surgical resection to eliminate GBM is almost impossible due to its high invasiveness. When GBM cells migrate to the brain, they interact with various cells, including astrocytes, neurons, endothelial cells, and the extracellular matrix (ECM). They can also make their cell body shrink to infiltrate into narrow spaces in the brain; thereby, they can invade regions of the brain and escape from surgery. Brain tumor cells create an appropriate microenvironment for migration and invasion by modifying and degrading the ECM. During those processes, the Ca²⁺ signaling pathway and other signaling cascades mediated by various ion channels contribute mainly to gene expression, motility, and invasion of GBM cells. Furthermore, GBM cells release glutamate, affecting migration via activation of ionotropic glutamate receptors in an autocrine manner. This review focuses on the cellular mechanisms of glioblastoma invasion and motility related to ECM, Ca²⁺ signaling, and glutamate. Finally, we discuss possible therapeutic interventions to inhibit invasion by GBM cells.

Residual Disease in Glioma Recurrence: A Dangerous Liaison with Senescence

With a dismally low median survival of less than two years after diagnosis, Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most lethal type of brain cancer. The standard-of-care of surgical resection, followed by DNA-damaging chemo-/radiotherapy, is often non-curative. In part, this is because individual cells close to the resection border remain alive and eventually undergo renewed proliferation. These residual, therapy-resistant cells lead to rapid recurrence, against which no effective treatment exists to date. Thus, new experimental approaches need to be developed against residual disease to prevent GBM survival and recurrence. Cellular senescence is an attractive area for the development of such new approaches. Senescence can occur in healthy cells when they are irreparably damaged. Senescent cells develop a chronic secretory phenotype that is generally considered pro-tumorigenic and pro-migratory. Age is a negative prognostic factor for GBM stage, and, with age, senescence steadily increases. Moreover, chemo-/radiotherapy can provide an additional increase in senescence close to the tumor. In light of this, we will review the importance of senescence in the tumor-supportive brain parenchyma, focusing on the invasion and growth of GBM in residual disease. We will propose a future direction on the application of anti-senescence therapies against recurrent GBM.