A closer look at the role of iron in glioblastoma

Abstract

Glioblastoma is among the deadliest malignancies facing modern oncology. While our understanding of certain aspects of glioblastoma biology has significantly increased over the last decade, other aspects, such as the role of bioactive metals in glioblastoma progression, have remain understudied. Iron is the most abundant transition metal found within the earth’s crust and plays an intricate role in human physiology owing to its ability to participate in oxidation-reduction reactions. The importance of iron homeostasis in human physiology is apparent when examining the clinical consequences of iron deficiency or iron overload. Despite this, the role of iron in glioblastoma progression has not been well described. Here we review and synthesize the existing literature examining iron’s role in glioblastoma progression and patient outcomes, as well as provide a survey of iron’s effects on the major cell types found within the glioblastoma microenvironment at the molecular and cellular level. Iron represents an accessible target given the availability of already approved iron supplements and chelators. Improving our understanding of iron’s role in glioblastoma biology may pave the way for iron modulating approaches to improve patient outcomes.

Analysis of anemia and iron supplementation among glioblastoma patients reveals sex-biased association between anemia and survival

“…Some studies have found no association between anemia and survival 39 , while others have found a negative association of anemia with survival among glioblastoma patients 40 – 43 . These studies are summarized in Table 3 and reviewed in greater detail elsewhere 44 . Of note, these studies have been limited to single institutions and smaller patient cohorts with insufficient size to study sex as a biological variable.…”

Iron inhibits glioblastoma cell migration and polarization

“…Given the increased interest in the use of small paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for tumor imaging, understanding the impact of iron on the behavior of glioblastomas is critical. [13][14][15] 2 | MATERIALS AND METHODS 2.1 | Cell culture T98G (ATCC, Catalog #: CRL-1690) and LN229 (ATCC, Catalog #: CRL-2611) authenticated human glioblastoma cell lines were purchased from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC). T98G cells were cultured in RPMI 1640 supplemented with GlutaMAX™ (ThermoFisher Scientific, Catalog #: 61870127), 10% fetal bovine serum (GeminiBio, Catalog#: 100-106), and 1% Penicillin-Streptomycin (ThermoFisher Scientific, Catalog #: 15140-122).…”