PDLIM3 expression is implicated in the invasive behavior of glioblastoma stem cells and their ability to form neurospheres

TL;DR

This study shows that PDLIM3 helps glioblastoma stem cells become more invasive and form spheres, which may explain why the cancer recurs.

Contribution

The study is the first to show that PDLIM3 contributes to glioblastoma aggressiveness by promoting stem cell invasion and neurosphere formation.

Findings

PDLIM3 suppression reduces glioblastoma stem cell invasion.

PDLIM3 is essential for neurosphere formation by glioblastoma stem cells.

Abstract

The recurrence of glioblastoma can be attributed to the high invasiveness and resistance of glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs). Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the molecular mechanisms that drive the agressiveness of these cells. This research focuses on the actin-associated protein PDLIM3 that we found overexpressed in GBM and in highly invasive GSCs. Suppressing PDLIM3 expression with targeted siRNAs significantly decreases cell invasion. Additionally, our findings highlight that PDLIM3 is essential for GSCs in forming neurospheres. This research provides the first evidence that PDLIM3 may contribute to the aggressiveness of glioblastoma by facilitating GSCs sphere formation and enhancing their invasiveness.

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