Ablation of neuropilin-1 improves the therapeutic response in conventional drug-resistant glioblastoma multiforme

Oncogene. 2020 Nov;39(48):7114-7126. doi: 10.1038/s41388-020-01462-1. Epub 2020 Oct 1.

Abstract

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly proliferative and locally invasive cancer with poor prognosis and a high recurrence rate. Although anti-VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) therapy offers short-term benefit to GBM patients, this approach fails as the tumor develops into a more invasive and drug-resistant phenotype and ultimately recurs. Recently, both glioma stemlike cells (GSCs) and brain tumor-initiating cells (BTICs) have been implicated in GBM recurrence and its resistance to therapy. We observed that patient-derived GBM cells expressing shRNAs of VEGF or neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) attenuate cancer stem cell markers, inhibit the tumor-initiating cell's neurosphere-forming capacity, and migration. Furthermore, both VEGF and NRP-1 knockdown inhibit the growth of patient-derived GBM xenografts in both zebrafish and mouse models. Interestingly, NRP-1-depleted patient-derived GBM xenografts substantially prolonged survival in mice compared to that of VEGF depletion. Our results also demonstrate that NRP-1 ablation of patient-derived GBM cells improves the sensitivity of TMZ and enhances the overall survival of the respective tumor-bearing mice. This improved outcome may provide insight into the inhibition of GBM progression and effective treatment strategies by targeting NRP-1 in addition to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / genetics
  • Cell Proliferation / genetics
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / genetics*
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques*
  • Glioblastoma / drug therapy*
  • Glioblastoma / genetics*
  • Glioblastoma / pathology
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Neuropilin-1 / deficiency*
  • Neuropilin-1 / genetics*
  • Phenotype
  • Survival Analysis
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / metabolism

Substances

  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • Neuropilin-1