bims-malgli Biomed News
on Biology of malignant gliomas
Issue of 2021–05–09
fiveteen papers selected by
Oltea Sampetrean, Keio University
  1. Novel facets of glioma invasion.
  2. Multicellular "hotspots" harbor high-grade potential in lower-grade gliomas.
  3. Targeting the Urotensin II/UT G Protein-Coupled Receptor to Counteract Angiogenesis and Mesenchymal Hypoxia/Necrosis in Glioblastoma.
  4. MR1 overexpression correlates with poor clinical prognosis in glioma patients.
  5. Parenteral high‑dose ascorbate - A possible approach for the treatment of glioblastoma (Review).
  6. Radiomics and radiogenomics in gliomas: a contemporary update.
  7. Rolling-translated EGFR variants sustain EGFR signaling and promote glioblastoma tumorigenicity.
  8. MGMT promoter methylation testing to predict overall survival in people with glioblastoma treated with temozolomide: a comprehensive meta-analysis based on a Cochrane Review.
  9. Creation of a new class of radiosensitizers for glioblastoma based on the mibefradil pharmacophore.
  10. Diagnosis of pseudoprogression following lomustine-temozolomide chemoradiation in newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients using FET PET.
  11. Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors in glioblastoma.
  12. Environmental and sex-specific molecular signatures of glioma causation.
  13. Stem cell models help crack regional oncohistone codes driving childhood gliomas.
  14. Understanding global brain network alterations in glioma patients.
  15. Glioma Vaccine Shows Early Signs of Success.
  1. Int Rev Cell Mol Biol. 2021 ;pii: S1937-6448(20)30092-7. [Epub ahead of print]360 33-64
    Novel facets of glioma invasion.
    Carina Fabian, Mingzhi Han, Rolf Bjerkvig, Simone P Niclou.
      Malignant gliomas including Glioblastoma (GBM) are characterized by extensive diffuse tumor cell infiltration throughout the brain, which represents a major challenge in clinical disease management. While surgical resection is beneficial for patient outcome, it is well recognized that tumor cells at the invasive front or beyond stay behind and constitute a major source of tumor recurrence. Invasive glioma cells also represent a difficult therapeutic target since they are localized within normal functional brain areas with an intact blood brain barrier (BBB), thereby excluding most systemic drug treatments. Cell movement is mediated via the actin cytoskeleton where corresponding membrane protrusions play essential roles. This review provides an overview of the various paths of glioma cell invasion and underlines the specific aspects of the brain microenvironment. We highlight recent insight into tumor microtubes, neuro-glioma synapses and tumor metabolism which can regulate collective invasion processes. We also focus on the deregulation of actin cytoskeleton-related components in the context of glioma invasion, a deregulation that may be controlled by genomic alterations in tumor cells as well as by various external factors, including extracellular matrix (ECM) components and non-malignant stromal cells. Finally we critically assess the challenges and opportunities for therapeutically targeting glioma cell invasion.
    Keywords:  Actin cytoskeleton; Glioblastoma; Glioma; Invasion; Tumor microtubes
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.ircmb.2020.08.001
  2. Neurooncol Adv. 2021 Jan-Dec;3(1):3(1): vdab026
    Multicellular "hotspots" harbor high-grade potential in lower-grade gliomas.
    Alastair J Kirby, José P Lavrador, Istvan Bodi, Francesco Vergani, Ranjeev Bhangoo, Keyoumars Ashkan, Gerald T Finnerty.
       Background: Lower-grade gliomas may be indolent for many years before developing malignant behavior. The mechanisms underlying malignant progression remain unclear.
    Methods: We collected blocks of live human brain tissue donated by people undergoing glioma resection. The tissue blocks extended through the peritumoral cortex and into the glioma. The living human brain tissue was cut into ex vivo brain slices and bathed in 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA). High-grade glioma cells avidly take up 5-ALA and accumulate high levels of the fluorescent metabolite, Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX). We exploited the PpIX fluorescence emitted by higher-grade glioma cells to investigate the earliest stages of malignant progression in lower-grade gliomas.
    Results: We found sparsely distributed "hot-spots" of PpIX-positive cells in living lower-grade glioma tissue. Glioma cells and endothelial cells formed part of the PpIX hotspots. Glioma cells in PpIX hotspots were IDH1 mutant and expressed nestin suggesting they had acquired stem-like properties. Spatial analysis with 5-ALA-conjugated quantum dots indicated that these glioma cells replicated adjacent to blood vessels. PpIX hotspots were formed in the absence of angiogenesis.
    Conclusion: Our data show that PpIX hotspots represent microdomains of cells with high-grade potential within lower-grade gliomas and identify locations where malignant progression could start.
    Keywords:  brain tumor; glia; malignant progression; nestin; vessel co-option
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/noajnl/vdab026
  3. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021 ;9 652544
    Targeting the Urotensin II/UT G Protein-Coupled Receptor to Counteract Angiogenesis and Mesenchymal Hypoxia/Necrosis in Glioblastoma.
    Vadim Le Joncour, Pierre-Olivier Guichet, Kleouforo-Paul Dembélé, Alexandre Mutel, Daniele Campisi, Nicolas Perzo, Laurence Desrues, Romain Modzelewski, Pierre-Olivier Couraud, Jérôme Honnorat, François-Xavier Ferracci, Florent Marguet, Annie Laquerrière, Pierre Vera, Pierre Bohn, Olivier Langlois, Fabrice Morin, Pierrick Gandolfo, Hélène Castel.
      Glioblastomas (GBMs) are the most common primary brain tumors characterized by strong invasiveness and angiogenesis. GBM cells and microenvironment secrete angiogenic factors and also express chemoattractant G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to their advantage. We investigated the role of the vasoactive peptide urotensin II (UII) and its receptor UT on GBM angiogenesis and tested potential ligand/therapeutic options based on this system. On glioma patient samples, the expression of UII and UT increased with the grade with marked expression in the vascular and peri-necrotic mesenchymal hypoxic areas being correlated with vascular density. In vitro human UII stimulated human endothelial HUV-EC-C and hCMEC/D3 cell motility and tubulogenesis. In mouse-transplanted Matrigel sponges, mouse (mUII) and human UII markedly stimulated invasion by macrophages, endothelial, and smooth muscle cells. In U87 GBM xenografts expressing UII and UT in the glial and vascular compartments, UII accelerated tumor development, favored hypoxia and necrosis associated with increased proliferation (Ki67), and induced metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 expression in Nude mice. UII also promoted a "tortuous" vascular collagen-IV expressing network and integrin expression mainly in the vascular compartment. GBM angiogenesis and integrin αvβ3 were confirmed by in vivo 99mTc-RGD tracer imaging and tumoral capture in the non-necrotic area of U87 xenografts in Nude mice. Peptide analogs of UII and UT antagonist were also tested as potential tumor repressor. Urotensin II-related peptide URP inhibited angiogenesis in vitro and failed to attract vascular and inflammatory components in Matrigel in vivo. Interestingly, the UT antagonist/biased ligand urantide and the non-peptide UT antagonist palosuran prevented UII-induced tubulogenesis in vitro and significantly delayed tumor growth in vivo. Urantide drastically prevented endogenous and UII-induced GBM angiogenesis, MMP, and integrin activations, associated with GBM tumoral growth. These findings show that UII induces GBM aggressiveness with necrosis and angiogenesis through integrin activation, a mesenchymal behavior that can be targeted by UT biased ligands/antagonists.
    Keywords:  UT receptor; angiogenesis; biased ligand; glioblastoma; necrosis; urotensin II
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2021.652544
  4. Neurooncol Adv. 2021 Jan-Dec;3(1):3(1): vdab034
    MR1 overexpression correlates with poor clinical prognosis in glioma patients.
    Phillip Kubica, Montserrat Lara-Velazquez, Marpe Bam, Seema Siraj, Irene Ong, Peng Liu, Raj Priya, Shahriar Salamat, Randy R Brutkiewicz, Mahua Dey.
       Background: Glioblastoma is the most common adult primary brain tumor with near-universal fatality. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules are important mediators of CD8 activation and can be downregulated by cancer cells to escape immune surveillance. MR1 is a nonclassical MHC-I-like molecule responsible for the activation of a subset of T cells. Although high levels of MR1 expression should enhance cancer cell recognition, various tumors demonstrate MR1 overexpression with unknown implications. Here, we study the role of MR1 in glioma.
    Methods: Using multi-omics data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we studied MR1 expression patterns and its impact on survival for various solid tumors. In glioma specifically, we validated MR1 expression by histology, elucidate transcriptomic profiles of MR1 high versus low gliomas. To understand MR1 expression, we analyzed the methylation status of the MR1 gene and MR1 gene-related transcription factor (TF) expression.
    Results: MR1 is overexpressed in all grades of glioma and many other solid cancers. However, only in glioma, MR1 overexpression correlated with poor overall survival and demonstrated global dysregulation of many immune-related genes in an MR1-dependent manner. MR1 overexpression correlated with decreased MR1 gene methylation and upregulation of predicted MR1 promoter binding TFs, implying MR1 gene methylation might regulate MR1 expression in glioma.
    Conclusions: Our in silico analysis shows that MR1 expression is a predictor of clinical outcome in glioma patients and is potentially regulated at the epigenetic level, resulting in immune-related genes dysregulation. These findings need to be validated using independent in vitro and in vivo functional studies.
    Keywords:  MR1; glioblastoma; glioma; methylation; survival
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/noajnl/vdab034
  5. Int J Oncol. 2021 Jun;pii: 35. [Epub ahead of print]58(6):
    Parenteral high‑dose ascorbate - A possible approach for the treatment of glioblastoma (Review).
    Olga Renner, Markus Burkard, Holger Michels, Claudia Vollbracht, Tobias Sinnberg, Sascha Venturelli.
      For glioblastoma, the treatment with standard of care therapy comprising resection, radiation, and temozolomide results in overall survival of approximately 14-18 months after initial diagnosis. Even though several new therapy approaches are under investigation, it is difficult to achieve life prolongation and/or improvement of patient's quality of life. The aggressiveness and progression of glioblastoma is initially orchestrated by the biological complexity of its genetic phenotype and ability to respond to cancer therapy via changing its molecular patterns, thereby developing resistance. Recent clinical studies of pharmacological ascorbate have demonstrated its safety and potential efficacy in different cancer entities regarding patient's quality of life and prolongation of survival. In this review article, the actual glioblastoma treatment possibilities are summarized, the evidence for pharmacological ascorbate in glioblastoma treatment is examined and questions are posed to identify current gaps of knowledge regarding accessibility of ascorbate to the tumor area. Experiments with glioblastoma cell lines and tumor xenografts have demonstrated that high‑dose ascorbate induces cytotoxicity and oxidative stress largely selectively in malignant cells compared to normal cells suggesting ascorbate as a potential therapeutic agent. Further investigations in larger cohorts and randomized placebo‑controlled trials should be performed to confirm these findings as well as to improve delivery strategies to the brain, through the inherent barriers and ultimately to the malignant cells.
    Keywords:  astrocytes; glioblastoma; glioma; high‑dose ascorbate; temozolomide; vitamin C
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2021.5215
  6. Br J Cancer. 2021 May 06.
    Radiomics and radiogenomics in gliomas: a contemporary update.
    Gagandeep Singh, Sunil Manjila, Nicole Sakla, Alan True, Amr H Wardeh, Niha Beig, Anatoliy Vaysberg, John Matthews, Prateek Prasanna, Vadim Spektor.
      The natural history and treatment landscape of primary brain tumours are complicated by the varied tumour behaviour of primary or secondary gliomas (high-grade transformation of low-grade lesions), as well as the dilemmas with identification of radiation necrosis, tumour progression, and pseudoprogression on MRI. Radiomics and radiogenomics promise to offer precise diagnosis, predict prognosis, and assess tumour response to modern chemotherapy/immunotherapy and radiation therapy. This is achieved by a triumvirate of morphological, textural, and functional signatures, derived from a high-throughput extraction of quantitative voxel-level MR image metrics. However, the lack of standardisation of acquisition parameters and inconsistent methodology between working groups have made validations unreliable, hence multi-centre studies involving heterogenous study populations are warranted. We elucidate novel radiomic and radiogenomic workflow concepts and state-of-the-art descriptors in sub-visual MR image processing, with relevant literature on applications of such machine learning techniques in glioma management.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41416-021-01387-w
  7. Neuro Oncol. 2021 May 05. 23(5): 743-756
    Rolling-translated EGFR variants sustain EGFR signaling and promote glioblastoma tumorigenicity.
    Yi Liu, Zhongjun Li, Maolei Zhang, Huangkai Zhou, Xujia Wu, Jian Zhong, Feizhe Xiao, Nunu Huang, Xuesong Yang, Rong Zeng, Lixuan Yang, Zhibo Xia, Nu Zhang.
       BACKGROUND: Aberrant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation is observed in over 50% of cases of adult glioblastoma (GBM). Nevertheless, EGFR antibodies are ineffective in clinical GBM treatment, suggesting the existence of redundant EGFR activation mechanisms. Whether circular RNA (circRNA) encodes a protein involved in EGFR-driven GBM remains unclear. We reported an unexpected mechanism in which circular EGFR RNA (circ-EGFR) encodes a novel EGFR variant to sustained EGFR activation.
    METHOD: We used RNA-seq, Northern blot, and Sanger sequencing to confirm the existence of circ-EGFR. Antibodies and a liquid chromatograph tandem mass spectrometer were used to identify circ-EGFR protein products. Lentivirus-transfected stable cell lines were used to assess the biological functions of the novel protein in vitro and in vivo. Clinical implications of circ-EGFR were assessed using 97 pathologically diagnosed GBM patient samples.
    RESULTS: The infinite open reading frame (iORF) in circ-EGFR translated repeating amino acid sequences via rolling translation and programmed -1 ribosomal frameshifting (-1PRF) induced out-of-frame stop codon (OSC), forming a polymetric novel protein-complex, which we termed rolling-translated EGFR (rtEGFR). rtEGFR directly interacted with EGFR, maintained EGFR membrane localization and attenuated EGFR endocytosis and degradation. Importantly, circ-EGFR levels correlated with the EGFR signature and predicted the poor prognosis of GBM patients. Deprivation of rtEGFR in brain tumor-initiating cells (BTICs) attenuated tumorigenicity and enhanced the anti-GBM effect.
    CONCLUSION: Our findings identified the endogenous rolling-translated protein and provided strong clinical evidence that targeting rtEGFR could improve the efficiency of EGFR-targeting therapies in GBM.
    Keywords:  CircRNA; EGFR; glioblastoma; iORF; rolling translation
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/neuonc/noaa279
  8. Neuro Oncol. 2021 Apr 30. pii: noab105. [Epub ahead of print]
    MGMT promoter methylation testing to predict overall survival in people with glioblastoma treated with temozolomide: a comprehensive meta-analysis based on a Cochrane Review.
    Sebastian Brandner, Alexandra McAleenan, Claire Kelly, Francesca Spiga, Hung-Yuan Cheng, Sarah Dawson, Lena Schmidt, Claire L Faulkner, Wragg Christopher, Sarah Jefferies, Julian P T Higgins, Kathreena M Kurian.
       BACKGROUND: The DNA repair protein O6 methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) causes resistance of tumour cells to alkylating agents. It is a predictive biomarker in high grade gliomas treated with temozolomide, however there is no consensus on which test method, methylation sites, and cut-off values to use.
    METHODS: We performed a Cochrane Review to examine studies using different techniques to measure MGMT and predict survival in glioblastoma patients treated with temozolomide. Eligible longitudinal studies included adults with glioblastoma treated with temozolomide with or without radiotherapy, or surgery; where MGMT status was determined in tumour tissue, and assessed by one or more technique; and where overall survival was an outcome parameter, with sufficient information to estimate hazard ratios. Two or more methods were compared in 32 independent cohorts with 3474 patients.
    RESULTS: Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and pyrosequencing (PSQ) techniques were more prognostic than immunohistochemistry for MGMT protein, and PSQ is a slightly better predictor than MSP.
    CONCLUSIONS: We cannot draw strong conclusions about use of frozen tissue versus formalin-fixed paraffin embedded in MSP and PSQ. Also, our meta-analysis does not provide strong evidence about the best CpG sites or threshold. MSP has been studied mainly for CpG sites 76-80 and 84-87 and Pyrosequencing at CpG sites ranging from 72 to 95. A cut-off threshold of 9% for CpG sites 74-78 performed better than higher thresholds of 28% or 29% in two of three good-quality studies. 190 studies were identified presenting hazard ratios from survival analysis in patients in which MGMT methylation was measured by one technique only.
    Keywords:  MGMT promoter methylation; glioblastoma; meta-analysis; prognostic biomarker; temozolomide
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/neuonc/noab105
  9. Oncotarget. 2021 Apr 27. 12(9): 891-906
    Creation of a new class of radiosensitizers for glioblastoma based on the mibefradil pharmacophore.
    Sateja Paradkar, James Herrington, Adam Hendricson, Piyasena Hewawasam, Mark Plummer, Denton Hoyer, Ranjini K Sundaram, Yulia V Surovtseva, Ranjit S Bindra.
      Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant tumor of the central nervous system with a dismal prognosis. Locoregional failure is common despite high doses of radiation therapy, which has prompted great interest in developing novel strategies to radiosensitize these cancers. Our group previously identified a calcium channel blocker (CCB), mibefradil, as a potential GBM radiosensitizer. We discovered that mibefradil selectively inhibits a key DNA repair pathway, alternative non-homologous end joining. We then initiated a phase I clinical trial that revealed promising initial efficacy of mibefradil, but further development was hampered by dose-limiting toxicities, including CCB-related cardiotoxicity, off-target hERG channel and cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) interactions. Here, we show that mibefradil inhibits DNA repair independent of its CCB activity, and report a series of mibefradil analogues which lack CCB activity and demonstrate reduced hERG and CYP activity while retaining potency as DNA repair inhibitors. We present in vivo pharmacokinetic studies of the top analogues with evidence of brain penetration. We also report a targeted siRNA-based screen which suggests a possible role for mTOR and Akt in DNA repair inhibition by this class of drugs. Taken together, these data reveal a new class of mibefradil-based DNA repair inhibitors which can be further advanced into pre-clinical testing and eventually clinical trials, as potential GBM radiosensitizers.
    Keywords:  DNA repair; alternative non-homologous end joining; glioblastoma; mibefradil; radiosensitizers
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.27933
  10. Clin Cancer Res. 2021 May 04. pii: clincanres.0471.2021. [Epub ahead of print]
    Diagnosis of pseudoprogression following lomustine-temozolomide chemoradiation in newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients using FET PET.
    Jan-Michael Werner, Johannes Weller, Garry Ceccon, Christina Schaub, Caroline Tscherpel, Philipp Lohmann, Elena K Bauer, Niklas Schäfer, Gabriele Stoffels, Christian Baues, Eren Celik, Simone Marnitz, Christoph Kabbasch, Gerrit H Gielen, Gereon R Fink, Karl-Josef Langen, Ulrich Herrlinger, Norbert Galldiks.
       BACKGROUND: The CeTeG/NOA-09 phase-III trial demonstrated a significant survival benefit of lomustine-temozolomide chemoradiation in newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients with methylated O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase promoter. Following lomustine-temozolomide chemoradiation, late and prolonged pseudoprogression may occur. We here evaluated the value of amino acid PET using O-(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (FET) for differentiating pseudoprogression from tumor progression.
    METHODS: We retrospectively identified patients (i) who were treated off-study according to the CeTeG/NOA-09 protocol, (ii) had equivocal MRI findings after radiotherapy, and (iii) underwent additional FET-PET imaging for diagnostic evaluation (number of scans, 1-3). Maximum and mean tumor-to-brain ratios (TBRmax, TBRmean) and dynamic FET uptake parameters (e.g., time-to-peak) were calculated. In patients with more than one FET-PET scan, relative changes of TBR values were evaluated, i.e., an increase or decrease of >10% compared to the reference scan was considered as tumor progression or pseudoprogression. Diagnostic performances were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curve analyses and Fisher's exact test. Diagnoses were confirmed histologically or clinicoradiologically.
    RESULTS: We identified 23 patients with 32 FET-PET scans. Within 5-25 weeks after radiotherapy (median time, 9 weeks), pseudoprogression occurred in 11 patients (48%). The parameter TBRmean calculated from the FET-PET performed 10{plus minus}7 days after the equivocal MRI showed the highest accuracy (87%) to identify pseudoprogression (threshold, <1.95; P=0.029). The integration of relative changes of TBRmean further improved the accuracy (91%; P<0.001). Moreover, the combination of static and dynamic parameters increased the specificity to 100% (P=0.005).
    CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that FET-PET parameters are of significant clinical value to diagnose pseudoprogression related to lomustine-temozolomide chemoradiation.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-21-0471
  11. Neurooncol Adv. 2021 Jan-Dec;3(1):3(1): vdab046
    Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors in glioblastoma.
    Gabriele Stephan, Niklas Ravn-Boess, Dimitris G Placantonakis.
       Background: Members of the adhesion family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have received attention for their roles in health and disease, including cancer. Over the past decade, several members of the family have been implicated in the pathogenesis of glioblastoma.
    Methods: Here, we discuss the basic biology of adhesion GPCRs and review in detail specific members of the receptor family with known functions in glioblastoma. Finally, we discuss the potential use of adhesion GPCRs as novel treatment targets in neuro-oncology.
    Keywords:  G protein-coupled receptor; adhesion GPCR; glioblastoma
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/noajnl/vdab046
  12. Neuro Oncol. 2021 May 04. pii: noab103. [Epub ahead of print]
    Environmental and sex-specific molecular signatures of glioma causation.
    Elizabeth B Claus, Vincent L Cannataro, Stephen G Gaffney, Jeffrey P Townsend.
       BACKGROUND: The relative importance of genetic and environmental risk factors in gliomagenesis remains uncertain.
    METHODS: Using whole-exome sequencing data from 1105 adult gliomas, we evaluate the relative contribution to cancer cell lineage proliferation and survival of single-nucleotide mutations in tumors by IDH mutation subtype and sex. We also quantify the contributions of COSMIC cancer mutational signatures to these tumors, identifying possible risk exposures.
    RESULTS: IDH-mutant tumors exhibited few unique recurrent substitutions-all in coding regions, while IDH-wildtype tumors exhibited many substitutions in non-coding regions. The importance of previously reported mutations in IDH1/2, TP53, EGFR, PTEN, PIK3CA and PIK3R1 was confirmed; however, the largest cancer effect in IDH wildtype tumors was associated with mutations in the low-prevalence BRAF V600E. Males and females exhibited mutations in a similar set of significantly overburdened genes, with some differences in variant sites-notably in the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. In IDH-mutant tumors, PIK3CA mutations were located in the helical domain for females and the kinase domain for males; variants of import also differed by sex for PIK3R1. Endogenous age-related mutagenesis was the primary molecular signature identified; a signature associated with exogenous exposure to haloalkanes was identified and noted more frequently in males.
    CONCLUSIONS: Cancer-causing mutations in glioma primarily originated as a consequence of endogenous rather than exogenous factors. Mutations in helical versus kinase domains of genes in the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway are differentially selected in males and females. Additionally, a rare environmental risk factor is suggested for some cases of glioma- particularly in males.
    Keywords:  cancer effect; glioma; haloalkanes; molecular signatures; mutations
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/neuonc/noab103
  13. Cell Stem Cell. 2021 May 06. pii: S1934-5909(21)00170-3. [Epub ahead of print]28(5): 785-787
    Stem cell models help crack regional oncohistone codes driving childhood gliomas.
    Rachel H Klein, Paul S Knoepfler.
      In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Funato et al. (2021) and Bressan et al. (2021) use stem cells as models to define functions of the histone H3.3 G34R mutation in childhood gliomas. Both studies find strong regional specificity to oncohistone activity and implicate specific elements of an aberrantly locked-in neural progenitor transcriptional circuitry.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stem.2021.04.013
  14. Brain Connect. 2021 May 05.
    Understanding global brain network alterations in glioma patients.
    Jolanda Derks, Shanna Dane Kulik, Tianne Numan, Philip De Witt Hamer, David Noske, Martin Klein, Jeroen Geurts, Jaap Reijneveld, Cornelis Stam, Menno Schoonheim, Arjan Hillebrand, Linda Douw.
       INTRODUCTION: Glioma patients show increased global brain network clustering relating to poorer cognition and epilepsy. However, it is unclear whether this increase is spatially widespread, localized in the (peri)tumor region only, or decreases with distance from the tumor.
    MATERIALS AND METHODS: Weighted global and local brain network clustering was determined in 71 glioma patients and 53 controls using magnetoencephalography. Tumor clustering was determined by averaging local clustering of regions overlapping with the tumor, and vice versa for non-tumor regions. Euclidean distance was determined from the tumor centroid to the centroids of other regions.
    RESULTS: Patients showed higher global clustering compared to controls. Clustering of tumor and non-tumor regions did not differ and local clustering was not associated with distance from the tumor. Post-hoc analyses revealed that in the patient group, tumors were located more often in regions with higher clustering in controls, but it seemed that tumors of patients with high global clustering were located more often in regions with lower clustering in controls.
    CONCLUSIONS: Glioma patients show non-local network disturbances. Tumors of patients with high global clustering may have a preferred localization, namely regions with lower clustering in controls, suggesting that tumor localization relates to the extent of network disruption.
    Keywords:  Brain networks; Functional connectivity; Magnetoencephalography (MEG)
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1089/brain.2020.0801
  15. Cancer Discov. 2021 May 04.
    Glioma Vaccine Shows Early Signs of Success.
      A vaccine targeting IDH1 in patients with newly diagnosed diffuse glioma may be worth pursuing, researchers say. In a phase I trial, the vaccine was deemed safe, and it induced an immune response-including clonal expansion of CD4 T cells-in 93.3% of patients.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-NB2021-0342
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