Development of stemness-related signature to optimize prognosis prediction and identify XMD8-85 as a novel therapeutic compound for glioma

• Published in: Cellular signalling 2024-08, Vol.120, p.111231, Article 111231
• Main Authors: Niu, Wanxiang, Yu, Huihan, Fan, Xiaoqing, Li, Shuyang, Sun, Suling, Gong, Meiting, Zhang, Siyu, Bi, Wenxu, Chen, Xueran, Fang, Zhiyou
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antitumor effect; Brain Neoplasms - drug therapy; Brain Neoplasms - genetics; Brain Neoplasms - metabolism; Brain Neoplasms - pathology; Cell Line, Tumor; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic - drug effects; Glioma - drug therapy; Glioma - genetics; Glioma - metabolism; Glioma - pathology; Glioma treatment; Humans; Male; Mice; Mice, Nude; Neoplastic Stem Cells - drug effects; Neoplastic Stem Cells - metabolism; Neoplastic Stem Cells - pathology; Prognosis; Prognosis prediction; Stemness-related transcription factor; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Tumor Microenvironment
• ISSN: 0898-6568; 1873-3913; 1873-3913
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2024.111231

Glioma is a highly invasive and aggressive type of brain cancer with poor treatment response. Stemness-related transcription factors form a regulatory network that sustains the malignant phenotype of gliomas. We conducted an integrated analysis of stemness-related transcription factors using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) datasets, established the characteristics of stemness-related transcription factors, including Octamer-Binding Protein 4 (OCT4), Meis Homeobox 1 (MEIS1), E2F Transcription Factor 1 (E2F1), Transcription Factor CP2 Like 1 (TFCP2L1), and RUNX Family Transcription Factor 1 (RUNX1). The characteristic of stemness-related transcription factors was identified as an independent prognostic factor for glioma patients. Patients in the high-risk group have a worse prognosis than those in the low-risk group. The glioma microenvironment in the high-risk group exhibited a more active immune status. Single-cell level analysis revealed that stem cell-like cells exhibited stronger intercellular communication than glioma cells. Meanwhile, patients in different risk stratification exhibited varying sensitivities to immunotherapy and small molecule drug therapy. XMD8-85 was more effective in the high-risk group, and its antitumor effects were validated both in vivo and in vitro. Our results indicate that this prognostic feature will assist clinicians in predicting the prognosis of glioma patients, guiding immunotherapy and personalized treatment, as well as the potential clinical application of XMD8-85 in glioma treatment, and helping to develop effective treatment strategies.