Synergistic activity of PAC-1/TMZ in rodent models and the demonstration of feasibility of the combined regime in canine patients suggest potential for PAC-1 in the treatment of glioblastoma.
Together, our study identifies a new mechanism by which KLF6 regulates NF-κB signaling, and how this mechanism is circumvented in glioblastoma through KLF6 loss.
Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to examine the effects of haloperidol, olanzapine and amisulpride on the expression of genes coding PAC1/VPAC type receptors in the T98G glioblastoma cell line, as an example of an in vitro model of glial cells.
Some of the 41 genes have been previously implicated in GBM pathogenesis (e.g., NF1, TP53, RB1, and IDH1) and others, while implicated in cancer, had not previously been highlighted in studies using TCGA data (e.g., SYNE1, KLF6, FGFR4, and EPHB4).
In addition, KLF6-SV1 mRNA expression levels were also 2.2-fold higher in the GBM group, suggesting that the increase in the KLF6 splicing ratio was due to increased expression of the KLF6-SV1 oncogenic splice variant.
RNA analysis revealed concomitant decreases in all primary GBM tumors (n = 11) by approximately 80% in KLF6 expression (p < 0.001) coupled with increased KLF6-SV1 expression (p < 0.001) when compared to normal astrocytes.
Additionally, KLF6 inhibits cellular transformation induced by several oncogenes (c-sis/PDGF-B, v-src, H-Ras, and EGFR) that are components of signaling cascades implicated in GBM.