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Spatiotemporal analysis of glioma heterogeneity reveals COL1A1 as an actionable target to disrupt tumor progression. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3606. [PMID: 35750880 PMCID: PMC9232499 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31340-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Intra-tumoral heterogeneity is a hallmark of glioblastoma that challenges treatment efficacy. However, the mechanisms that set up tumor heterogeneity and tumor cell migration remain poorly understood. Herein, we present a comprehensive spatiotemporal study that aligns distinctive intra-tumoral histopathological structures, oncostreams, with dynamic properties and a specific, actionable, spatial transcriptomic signature. Oncostreams are dynamic multicellular fascicles of spindle-like and aligned cells with mesenchymal properties, detected using ex vivo explants and in vivo intravital imaging. Their density correlates with tumor aggressiveness in genetically engineered mouse glioma models, and high grade human gliomas. Oncostreams facilitate the intra-tumoral distribution of tumoral and non-tumoral cells, and potentially the collective invasion of the normal brain. These fascicles are defined by a specific molecular signature that regulates their organization and function. Oncostreams structure and function depend on overexpression of COL1A1. Col1a1 is a central gene in the dynamic organization of glioma mesenchymal transformation, and a powerful regulator of glioma malignant behavior. Inhibition of Col1a1 eliminates oncostreams, reprograms the malignant histopathological phenotype, reduces expression of the mesenchymal associated genes, induces changes in the tumor microenvironment and prolongs animal survival. Oncostreams represent a pathological marker of potential value for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. It is essential to improve our understanding of the features that influence aggressiveness and invasion in high grade gliomas (HGG). Here, the authors characterize dynamic anatomical structures in HGG called oncostreams, which are associated with tumor growth and are regulated by COL1A1.
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Glioma facilitates the epileptic and tumor-suppressive gene expressions in the surrounding region. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6805. [PMID: 35474103 PMCID: PMC9042955 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10753-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with glioma often demonstrate epilepsy. We previously found burst discharges in the peritumoral area in patients with malignant brain tumors during biopsy. Therefore, we hypothesized that the peritumoral area may possess an epileptic focus and that biological alterations in the peritumoral area may cause epileptic symptoms in patients with glioma. To test our hypothesis, we developed a rat model of glioma and characterized it at the cellular and molecular levels. We first labeled rat C6 glioma cells with tdTomato, a red fluorescent protein (C6-tdTomato), and implanted them into the somatosensory cortex of VGAT-Venus rats, which specifically expressed Venus, a yellow fluorescent protein in GABAergic neurons. We observed that the density of GABAergic neurons was significantly decreased in the peritumoral area of rats with glioma compared with the contralateral healthy side. By using a combination technique of laser capture microdissection and RNA sequencing (LCM-seq) of paraformaldehyde-fixed brain sections, we demonstrated that 19 genes were differentially expressed in the peritumoral area and that five of them were associated with epilepsy and neurodevelopmental disorders. In addition, the canonical pathways actively altered in the peritumoral area were predicted to cause a reduction in GABAergic neurons. These results suggest that biological alterations in the peritumoral area may be a cause of glioma-related epilepsy.
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Comba A, Faisal SM, Varela ML, Hollon T, Al-Holou WN, Umemura Y, Nunez FJ, Motsch S, Castro MG, Lowenstein PR. Uncovering Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity of High-Grade Gliomas: From Disease Biology to Therapeutic Implications. Front Oncol 2021; 11:703764. [PMID: 34422657 PMCID: PMC8377724 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.703764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastomas (GBM) are the most common and aggressive tumors of the central nervous system. Rapid tumor growth and diffuse infiltration into healthy brain tissue, along with high intratumoral heterogeneity, challenge therapeutic efficacy and prognosis. A better understanding of spatiotemporal tumor heterogeneity at the histological, cellular, molecular, and dynamic levels would accelerate the development of novel treatments for this devastating brain cancer. Histologically, GBM is characterized by nuclear atypia, cellular pleomorphism, necrosis, microvascular proliferation, and pseudopalisades. At the cellular level, the glioma microenvironment comprises a heterogeneous landscape of cell populations, including tumor cells, non-transformed/reactive glial and neural cells, immune cells, mesenchymal cells, and stem cells, which support tumor growth and invasion through complex network crosstalk. Genomic and transcriptomic analyses of gliomas have revealed significant inter and intratumoral heterogeneity and insights into their molecular pathogenesis. Moreover, recent evidence suggests that diverse dynamics of collective motion patterns exist in glioma tumors, which correlate with histological features. We hypothesize that glioma heterogeneity is not stochastic, but rather arises from organized and dynamic attributes, which favor glioma malignancy and influences treatment regimens. This review highlights the importance of an integrative approach of glioma histopathological features, single-cell and spatially resolved transcriptomic and cellular dynamics to understand tumor heterogeneity and maximize therapeutic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Comba
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Syed M Faisal
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Maria Luisa Varela
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Todd Hollon
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Wajd N Al-Holou
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Yoshie Umemura
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Felipe J Nunez
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Fundación Instituto Leloir, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sebastien Motsch
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Maria G Castro
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Pedro R Lowenstein
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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Li D, Gao J, Yang C, Li B, Sun J, Yu M, Wang Y, Wang H, Lu Y. cRGDyK-modified procaine liposome inhibits the proliferation and motility of glioma cells via the ERK/p38MAPK pathway. Exp Ther Med 2021; 22:859. [PMID: 34178132 PMCID: PMC8220655 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.10291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioma is a common type of primary tumor in the central nervous system. Glioma has been increasing in incidence yearly and is a serious threat to human life and health. The aim of the present study was to prepare liposomes for enhanced penetration of the blood-brain barrier and targeting of glioma. A procaine-loaded liposome modified with the cyclic pentapeptide cRGDyK (Pro/cRGDyK-L) was designed and developed. The particle size, ζ potential, encapsulation efficiency, release profile, stability and hemolysis of Pro/cRGDyK-L were characterized in vitro. The targeting and antitumor effects of Pro/cRGDyK-L were also investigated in vitro and in vivo. The results suggested that the cRGDyK peptide significantly facilitated the ability of liposomes to transfer procaine across the BBB and improved the cellular uptake of procaine by C6 glioma cells. The results further demonstrated that Pro/cRGDyK-L strongly suppressed cell motility, stimulated apoptosis and induced cell cycle arrest. The findings further confirmed that Pro/cRGDyK-L exhibited superior antitumor effects by targeting the ERK/p38MAPK pathway and thereby suppressed tumor growth in mice. In conclusion, the present study indicated the potential of Pro/cRGDyK-L as a means to provide improved therapeutic effects on glioma through the ERK/p38MAPK pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dedong Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, P.R. China
| | - Jie Gao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Haihe Hospital, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China
| | - Chenyi Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Third Central Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, P.R. China
| | - Jian Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, P.R. China
| | - Mingdong Yu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, P.R. China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, P.R. China
| | - Haiyun Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Third Central Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Yuechun Lu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, P.R. China
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Gillies RJ. Cancer heterogeneity and metastasis: life at the edge. Clin Exp Metastasis 2021; 39:15-19. [PMID: 33999364 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-021-10101-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
There is abundant evidence that the phenotype of cells the tumor at the stromal interface is distinct from the tumor cells that are within the core. Molecular phenotyping of cells at the edge show that they express higher levels of proteins associated with elevated glycolytic metabolism, including GLUT-1, HIF-1, and CA-IX. An end product of glycolysis is the production of acid, and acidosis of tumors is strongly associated with increased metastatic potential across a wide variety of tumor types. The molecular machinery promoting this export of acid is being defined, with close collaboration between carbonic anhydrases, sodium dependent bicarbonate and monocarboxylate transporters. Neutralization of this acidity can prevent local invasion and metastasis, and this has led to the "acid-mediated invasion hypothesis" wherein export of acid from the tumor into the stroma leads to matrix remodeling, which can promote local invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Gillies
- Department of Cancer Physiology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA.
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