Cytoskeletal Protein Palladin in Adult Gliomas Predicts Disease Incidence, Progression, and Prognosis

Abstract

Brain tumors comprise over 100 types of masses, differing in the following: location; patient age; molecular, histological, and immunohistochemical characteristics; and prognosis and treatment. Glioma tumors originate from neuroglia, cells supporting the brain. Palladin, a structural protein widely expressed in mammalian tissues, has a pivotal role in cytoskeletal dynamics and motility in health and disease. Palladin is linked to the progression of breast, pancreatic, and renal cancers. In the central nervous system, palladin is involved in embryonic development, neuronal maturation, the cell cycle, differentiation, and apoptosis. However, the role of palladin in brain tumors is unknown. In this work, we explored palladin’s role in glioma. We analyzed clinical data, along with bulk and single-cell gene expression. We then validated our results using IHC staining of tumor samples, together with qRT-PCR of glioma cell lines. We determined that wild-type palladin-4 is overexpressed in adult gliomas and is correlated with a decrease in survival. Palladin expression outperformed clinically used prognostic markers and was most prominent in glioblastoma. Finally, we showed that palladin originates from the malignant cell population. Our findings indicate that palladin expression might be linked to adult glioma progression and is associated with prognosis.

Association of EGFR Gene Polymorphism with Glioma Susceptibility in Turkish Population

“…Gliomas, which account for 3 out of 10 of all brain tumors and 8 out of 10 malignant brain tumors, are adult tumors that develop from the neuroglia, the brain's support cells (1). They encompass malignant brain tumor groups of varying degrees, in which genetic factors affect the development and progression of the disease, and patients have a very short life expectancy after diagnosis (1)(2)(3).…”

“…Due to this, the roots of the evolution of gliomas can be grouped under two major headings. One is genetic factors like single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and another is cooperation among environmental elements like lifestyle habits and comorbidities (2,4). Epidemiological studies have identified numerous SNPs, including those in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene, as linked to gliomas (3,5,6).…”