IMR Press / FBL / Volume 27 / Issue 3 / DOI: 10.31083/j.fbl2703097
Open Access Original Research
The chaperone system in glioblastoma multiforme and derived cell lines: diagnostic and mechanistic implications
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1 Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (BiND), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
2 Euro-Mediterranean Institutes of Science and Technology (IEMEST), 90139 Palermo, Italy
3 Department of Sciences for the Promotion of Health and Mother and Child Care, Anatomic Pathology, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
4 Consortium of Caltanissetta, 93100 Caltanissetta, Italy
5 Department of Neurosurgery, Highly Specialized Hospital and of National Importance “Garibaldi", 95122 Catania, Italy
6 Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
7 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland at Baltimore-Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET), Baltimore, MD 21202, USA
8 Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), 90100 Palermo, Italy
*Correspondence: francesca.rappa@unipa.it (Francesca Rappa)
These authors share the first authorship.
§These authors share the last authorship.
Academic Editor: Graham Pawelec
Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2022, 27(3), 97; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.fbl2703097
Submitted: 28 December 2021 | Revised: 24 January 2022 | Accepted: 25 January 2022 | Published: 15 March 2022
Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Background: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and malignant primary brain tumor in adults. Novel treatments are needed to counteract the molecular mechanisms of GBM growth and drug resistance. The chaperone system (CS) members are typically cytoprotective but some, termed Hsp, can become pathogenic and participate in carcinogenesis, along with the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and we investigated them in GBM biopsies and derived cell lines. The objectives were to identify diagnostic-prognostic biomarkers and gather information for developing chaperonotherapy. Methods: Cell lines from GBMs were established, characterized (morphology, growth characteristics, and specific markers), and stored. Chaperones and angiogenic factors [Hsp10, Hsp27, Hsp60, Hsp70, Hsp90, FLT-1 (VEGFR-1), FLK1 (KDR, VEGFR-2), and FLT-4 (VEGFR-3)] were observed in cells by immunofluorescence while the chaperones were measured in tumor tissue by immunohistochemistry. Results: Four cell lines were derived from four different GBMs; the cells were spindle shaped or polygonal and grew at high rates as adherent monolayers or clusters without evidence of contact inhibition. The astrocyte-specific glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP); and the neuronal NSE, malignancy VIM, and proliferation PCNA, markers were determined. The cells expressed GFAP but no NSE, indicating that they were primary glioblastoma cell lines, with high levels of Hsp10, Hsp27, Hsp60, Hsp90, and Flk1; and low levels of Hsp70, Flt1, and Flt4. Conclusions: Four cell lines were established derived from four out of ten GBM tumors studied. The cell lines showed intense positivity for chaperones studied and factors connected to malignancy and the tumors showed increased levels of chaperones, making them potential diagnostic-prognostic biomarkers and targets for anti-cancer compounds.

Keywords
glioblastoma multiforme (GBM)
chaperone system (CS)
heat shock protein (Hsp)
vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
GMB cell lines
Figures
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