Local strategies and delivery systems for the treatment of malignant gliomas

Anti-angiogenesis and anti-immunosuppression gene therapy through targeting COUP-TFII in an in situ glioblastoma mouse model

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary brain cancer; angiogenesis and immunosuppression exacerbate GBM progression. COUP-TFII demonstrates pro-angiogenesis activity; however, its role in glioma progression remains unclear. This study revealed that COUP-TFII promotes angiogenesis in gliomas by inducing transdifferentiation of glioma cells into endothelial-like cells. Mechanistic investigation suggested that COUP-TFII as a transcription factor exerts its function via binding to the promoter of TXNIP. Interestingly, COUP-TFII knockdown attenuated tumorigenesis and tumor progression in an immunocompetent mouse model but promoted tumor progression in an immuno-deficient mouse model. As an explanation, repression of COUP-TFII induces cellular senescence and activates immune surveillance in glioma cells in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we used heparin-polyethyleneimine (HPEI) nanoparticles to deliver COUP-TFII shRNA, which regulated tumor angiogenesis and immunosuppression in an in situ GBM mouse model. This study provides a novel strategy and potential therapeutic targets to treat GBM.

The evaluation of six genes combined value in glioma diagnosis and prognosis

PURPOSE

Glioma is the most common and fatal type of brain tumour. Owing to its aggressiveness and lethality, early diagnosis and prediction of patient survival are very important. This study aimed to identify key genes and biomarkers for glioma that can guide clinicians in making rapid diagnosis and prognostication.

METHODS

Data mining of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA), Repository of Molecular Brain Neoplasia Data, and Genotype-Tissue Expression Project brain expression data revealed significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and the risk scores of individual patients were calculated. WGCNA was utilized to screen for genes most related to clinical diagnosis. Prognostic genes associated with glioma were selected via combining the LASSO regression with univariate and multivariate Cox regression and protein-protein interaction network analyses. Then, a nomogram was constructed. And CGGA dataset was utilized to validated. The protein expression levels of the signature were detected using the human protein atlas. Drug response prediction was carried out using the package "pRRophetic".

RESULTS

A six-gene signature (KLF6, CHI3L1, SERPINE1, ANGPT2, TGFBR1, and PTX3) was identified and used to stratify patients into low- and high-risk groups. Survival, ROC curve, and Cox analyses clarified that the six hub genes were a favourable independent prognostic factor for patients with glioma. A nomogram was set up by integrating clinical parameters with risk signatures, showing high precision for predicting 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-years survival. In addition, the expression of most genes was consistent with protein expression. Furthermore, the sensitivity to the top ten drugs in the GDSC database of the high-risk group was significantly higher than the low-risk group.

CONCLUSION

Based on genetic profiles and clinicopathological features, including age, grade, isocitrate dehydrogenase mutation status, we constructed a comprehensive prognostic model for patients with glioma. These signatures can be regarded as biomarkers to predict the prognosis of gliomas, possibly providing more therapeutic strategies for future clinical research.

Functionalized nanoparticles crossing the brain-blood barrier to target glioma cells

Glioma is the most common tumor of the central nervous system (CNS), with a 5-year survival rate of <35%. Drug therapy, such as chemotherapeutic and immunotherapeutic agents, remains one of the main treatment modalities for glioma, including temozolomide, doxorubicin, bortezomib, cabazitaxel, dihydroartemisinin, immune checkpoint inhibitors, as well as other approaches such as siRNA, ferroptosis induction, etc. However, the filter function of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) reduces the amount of drugs needed to effectively target CNS tumors, making it one of the main reasons for poor drug efficacies in glioma. Thus, finding a suitable drug delivery platform that can cross the BBB, increase drug aggregation and retainment in tumoral areas and avoid accumulation in non-targeted areas remains an unsolved challenge in glioma drug therapy. An ideal drug delivery system for glioma therapy should have the following features: (1) prolonged drug life in circulation and effective penetration through the BBB; (2) adequate accumulation within the tumor (3) controlled-drug release modulation; (4) good clearance from the body without significant toxicity and immunogenicity, etc. In this regard, due to their unique structural features, nanocarriers can effectively span the BBB and target glioma cells through surface functionalization, providing a new and effective strategy for drug delivery. In this article, we discuss the characteristics and pathways of different nanocarriers for crossing the BBB and targeting glioma by listing different materials for drug delivery platforms, including lipid materials, polymers, nanocrystals, inorganic nanomaterials, etc.

Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors for Glioblastoma Multiforme: Challenges and Opportunities for Drug Delivery

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive brain tumor with high mortality rates. Due to its invasiveness, heterogeneity, and incomplete resection, the treatment is very challenging. Targeted therapies such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have great potential for GBM treatment, however, their efficacy is primarily limited by poor brain distribution due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). This review focuses on the potential of TKIs in GBM therapy and provides an insight into the reasons behind unsuccessful clinical trials of TKIs in GBM despite the success in treating other cancer types. The main section is dedicated to the use of promising drug delivery strategies for targeted delivery to brain tumors. Use of brain targeted delivery strategies can help enhance the efficacy of TKIs in GBM. Among various drug delivery approaches used to bypass or cross BBB, utilizing nanocarriers is a promising strategy to augment the pharmacokinetic properties of TKIs and overcome their limitations. This is because of their advantages such as the ability to cross BBB, chemical stabilization of drug in circulation, passive or active targeting of tumor, modulation of drug release from the carrier, and the possibility to be delivered via non-invasive intranasal route.

Identification and validation of an autophagy-related signature for predicting survival in lower-grade glioma

Abnormal levels of autophagy have been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple diseases, including cancer. However, little is known about the role of autophagy-related genes (ARGs) in low-grade gliomas (LGG). Accordingly, the aims of this study were to assess the prognostic values of ARGs and to establish a genetic signature for LGG prognosis. Expression profile data from patients with and without primary LGG were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genome Tissue Expression databases, respectively, and consensus clustering was used to identify clusters of patients with distinct prognoses. Nineteen differentially expressed ARGs were selected with threshold values of FDR < 0.05 and |log2 fold change (FC)| ≥ 2, and functional analysis revealed that these genes were associated with autophagy processes as expected. An autophagy-related signature was established using a Cox regression model of six ARGs that separated patients from TCGA training cohort into high- and low-risk groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that the signature-based risk score was an independent prognostic factor. The signature was successfully validated using the TCGA testing, TCGA entire, and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas cohorts. Stratified analyses demonstrated that the signature was associated with clinical features and prognosis, and gene set enrichment analysis revealed that autophagy- and cancer-related pathways were more enriched in high-risk patients than in low-risk patients. The prognostic value and expression of the six signature-related genes were also investigated. Thus, the present study constructed and validated an autophagy-related prognostic signature that could optimize individualized survival prediction in LGG patients.

Aptamer-Driven Toxin Gene Delivery in U87 Model Glioblastoma Cells

A novel suicide gene therapy approach was tested in U87 MG glioblastoma multiforme cells. A 26nt G-rich double-stranded DNA aptamer (AS1411) was integrated into a vector at the 5' of a mammalian codon-optimized saporin gene, under CMV promoter. With this plasmid termed "APTSAP", the gene encoding ribosome-inactivating protein saporin is driven intracellularly by the glioma-specific aptamer that binds to cell surface-exposed nucleolin and efficiently kills target cells, more effectively as a polyethyleneimine (PEI)-polyplex. Cells that do not expose nucleolin at the cell surface such as 3T3 cells, used as a control, remain unaffected. Suicide gene-induced cell killing was not observed when the inactive saporin mutant SAPKQ DNA was used in the (PEI)-polyplex, indicating that saporin catalytic activity mediates the cytotoxic effect. Rather than apoptosis, cell death has features resembling autophagic or methuosis-like mechanisms. These main findings support the proof-of-concept of using PEI-polyplexed APTSAP for local delivery in rat glioblastoma models.

Natural polymeric nanocarriers in malignant glioma drug delivery and targeting

Among all central nervous diseases, malignant glioma is a crucial part that deserves more attention since high fatality and disability rate. There are several therapeutic strategies applied to the treatment of malignant glioma, especially certain chemotherapy-related treatments. However, the existence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) seriously hinders the strategy's progress, so how to escape from the barriers is a fascinating question. Herein, we comprehensively discussed the details of malignant glioma and the BBB's functional morphology and summarized several routes bypassing the BBB. Additionally, since possessing excellent properties for drug delivery, we provided an insight into various promising natural polymeric materials and highlighted their applications in the treatment of malignant glioma.

Nanodelivery Systems Targeting Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors for Glioma Management

A paradigm shift in treating the most aggressive and malignant form of glioma is continuously evolving; however, these strategies do not provide a better life and survival index. Currently, neurosurgical debulking, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy are the treatment options available for glioma, but these are non-specific in action. Patients invariably develop resistance to these therapies, leading to recurrence and death. Receptor Tyrosine Kinases (RTKs) are among the most common cell surface proteins in glioma and play a significant role in malignant progression; thus, these are currently being explored as therapeutic targets. RTKs belong to the family of cell surface receptors that are activated by ligands which in turn activates two major downstream signaling pathways via Rapidly Accelerating Sarcoma/mitogen activated protein kinase/extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (Ras/MAPK/ERK) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/a serine/threonine protein kinase/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR). These pathways are critically involved in regulating cell proliferation, invasion, metabolism, autophagy, and apoptosis. Dysregulation in these pathways results in uncontrolled glioma cell proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, and cancer progression. Thus, RTK pathways are considered a potential target in glioma management. This review summarizes the possible risk factors involved in the growth of glioblastoma (GBM). The role of RTKs inhibitors (TKIs) and the intracellular signaling pathways involved, small molecules under clinical trials, and the updates were discussed. We have also compiled information on the outcomes from the various endothelial growth factor receptor (EGFR)-TKIs-based nanoformulations from the preclinical and clinical points of view. Aided by an extensive literature search, we propose the challenges and potential opportunities for future research on EGFR-TKIs-based nanodelivery systems.

Polyamidoamine-based nanovector for the efficient delivery of methotrexate to U87 glioma cells

The purpose of this study was to design a polyamidoamine (PAMAM)-based nanovector for the efficient delivery of methotrexate to U87 glioma cells. To this end, 0-100% acetylated PAMAM dendrimers of the fourth generation were synthesized and evaluated using drug encapsulation measurements, molecular dynamics simulations, neurotoxicity assays and neuronal internalization experiments. The best system was tested as a nanovector for methotrexate delivery to U87 glioma cells. The authors found that 25% acetylated PAMAM dendrimers of the fourth-generation combine low intrinsic toxicity, large drug complexation capacity and efficient internalization into hippocampal neurons. Nanovector complexation enhances the cytotoxic response of methotrexate against U87 glioma cells compared with free drug solutions. In conclusion, 25% acetylated PAMAM dendrimers of the fourth-generation increase drug uptake by glioma cells and thereby act as efficient nanovectors for methotrexate delivery.

A Short-Lived but Highly Cytotoxic Vanadium(V) Complex as a Potential Drug Lead for Brain Cancer Treatment by Intratumoral Injections

The chemistry and short lifetimes of metal-based anti-cancer drugs can be turned into an advantage for direct injections into tumors, which then allow the use of highly cytotoxic drugs. The release of their less toxic decomposition products into the blood will lead to decreased toxicity and can even have beneficial effects. We present a ternary V^V complex, 1 ([VOL¹ L² ], where L¹ is N-(salicylideneaminato)-N'-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethane-1,2-diamine and L² is 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol), which enters cells intact to induce high cytotoxicity in a range of human cancer cells, including T98g (glioma multiforme), while its decomposition products in cell culture medium were ≈8-fold less toxic. 1 was 12-fold more toxic than cisplatin in T98g cells and 6-fold more toxic in T98g cells than in a non-cancer human cell line, HFF-1. Its high toxicity in T98g cells was retained in the presence of physiological concentrations of the two main metal-binding serum proteins, albumin and transferrin. These properties favor further development of 1 for brain cancer treatment by intratumoral injections.

Electrokinetic Convection-Enhanced Delivery of Solutes to the Brain

Pressure-induced infusion of solutions into brain tissue is used both in research and in medicine. In medicine, convection enhanced delivery (CED) may be used to deliver agents to localized areas of the brain, such as with gene therapy to functional targets or with deep tumors not readily amenable to resection. However, clinical trials have demonstrated mixed results from CED. CED is limited by a lack of control of the infusion flow path and may cause damage or even neurological deficits due to neuronal distortion. In laboratory research, infusions may be achieved using pressure or using brief bursts of electrical current in iontophoresis. Electrokinetic convection enhanced delivery (ECED) has the potential to deliver drugs and other bioactive substances to local regions in the brain with improved control and lower applied pressures than pressure-based CED. ECED improves control over the infusion profile because the fluid follows the electrical current path and thus can be directed. Both small molecules and macromolecules can be delivered. Here we demonstrate proof-of-principal that electrokinetic (electroosmosis and electrophoresis) convection-enhanced delivery is a viable means for delivering solutes to the brain. We assessed the volume of tissue exposed to the infusates tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) and fluorescent dextrans. Control of the direction of the transport was also achieved over distances ranging from several hundred micrometers to more than 4 mm. Electrokinetic delivery has the potential to improve control over infusions.

Down-regulated microRNA-30b-3p inhibits proliferation, invasion and migration of glioma cells via inactivation of the AKT signaling pathway by up-regulating RECK

microRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to affect various cancers, and expression of numerous miRNAs is revealed in glioma. However, the role of microRNA-30b-3p (miR-30b-3p) in glioma remains elusive. Therefore, the present study aims to explore the specific mechanism by which miR-30b-3p influence the development of glioma in relation to the AKT signaling pathway. First, glioma cell lines were collected with miR-30b-3p and reversion-inducing cysteine-rich protein with kazal motifs (RECK) expression measured. The functional role of miR-30b-3p and RECK in glioma was determined via gain- and loss-of-function approaches. Subsequently, the expression of invasion- and migration-related factors (MMP-2 and MMP-9) and the AKT signaling pathway-related factors (AKT, p-AKT and PI3K-p85) was detected. Moreover, in vivo experiments were also conducted to investigate how miR-30b-3p influences in vivo tumorigenesis. The results showed that miR-30b-3p was up-regulated and RECK was down-regulated in glioma. RECK was a target gene of miR-30b-3p. Decreased miR-30b-3p and overexpressed RECK led to decreased expression of MMP-2, MMP-9 and p-AKT. Overexpressed RECK and LY294002 could decrease p-AKT and PI3K-p85 expression accompanied with unchanged expression of total protein of AKT. Additionally, proliferation, migration and invasion of glioma cells and tumor formation in nude mice were repressed owing to reduced expression of miR-30b-3p or elevated expression of RECK. In summary, miR-30b-3p inhibition suppresses metastasis of glioma cells by inactivating the AKT signaling pathway via RECK up-regulation, providing a new target for glioma treatment.