Anti-vimentin nanobody decreases glioblastoma cell invasion in vitro and in vivo

Zottel, Alja (author), Novak, Metka (author), Šamec, Neja (author), Majc, Bernarda (author), Colja, Sara (author), Katrašnik, Mojca (author), Vittori, Miloš (author), Hrastar, Barbara (author), Rotter, Ana (author), Porčnik, Andrej (author), Lah Turnšek, Tamara (author), Komel, Radovan (author), Breznik, Barbara (author), Jovchevska, Ivana (author)

Purpose: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary brain tumour and one of the deadliest cancers. In addition to late diagnosis and inadequate treatment, the extremely low survival rate is also due to the lack of appropriate therapeutic biomarkers and corresponding therapeutic agents. One of the potential therapeutic biomarkers is the intermediate filament vimentin, which is associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The purpose of this study was to analyse the effect of the anti-vimentin nanobody Nb79 on cell invasion in vitro and in vivo. To further our understanding of the mechanism of action, we investigated the association between Nb79 and EMT in GBM and GBM stem cells by analysing the expression levels of key EMT-related proteins. Methods: The expression of vimentin in glioma tissues and cells was determined by RT-qPCR. An invasion assay was performed on differentiated glioblastoma cell line U-87 MG and stem cell line NCH421k in vitro as well as in vivo in zebrafish embryos. The effect of Nb79 on expression of EMT biomarkers beta-catenin, vimentin, ZEB-1 and ZO1 was determined by Western blot and immunocytochemistry. Results: Our study shows that vimentin is upregulated in glioblastoma tissue compared to lower grade glioma and non-tumour brain tissue. We demonstrated that treatment with Nb79 reduced glioblastoma cell invasion by up to 64% in vitro and up to 21% in vivo. In addition, we found that the tight junction protein ZO-1 had higher expression on the cell membrane, when treated with inhibitory anti-vimentin Nb79 compared to control. Conclusion: In conclusion, our results suggest that anti-vimentin nanobody Nb79 is a promising tool to target glioblastoma cell invasion.

• Language: English
• Keywords: glioblastoma, vimentin, nanobody, invasion, EMT
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine; BF - Biotechnical Faculty; FKKT - Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: 14 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 15, iss. 3, art. 573
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-154097
• UDC: 616-006
• ISSN on article: 2072-6694
• DOI: 10.3390/cancers15030573
• COBISS.SI-ID: 138228995
• Publication date in RUL: 25.01.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Cancers
• Shortened title: Cancers
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2072-6694
• COBISS.SI-ID: 517914137

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: glioblastom, vimentin, nanotelo