Impact of cellular prion protein expression in glioblastoma stem-like cells biology: exploring the biogenesis and cargo of extracellular vesicles

• Grant number: 23/06506-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: August 01, 2023
• End date: October 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Cytology and Cell Biology
• Principal Investigator: Marilene Hohmuth Lopes
• Grantee: João Pedro Alves de Araújo
• Supervisor: Julie Gavard
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie et Immunologie Intégrée, Nantes Angers, France
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/08106-1 - The role of extracellular vesicles of neural precursors in the PDX cells sensitivity to temozolomide, BP.MS

Abstract

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a deadly brain tumor with a survival rate of less than two years and its high aggressiveness is sustained by a subpopulation of tumor stem cells known as glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSCs). GSCs are involved in chemotherapy resistance and tumor recurrence and have the prion protein (PrPC), a cell surface molecule, as a potential marker and essential player in their stemness maintenance. PrPC is also involved in intercellular communication and may orchestrate extracellular vesicles (EVs) dynamics. Indeed, the intercellular communication mediated by EVs is thought to be a central driver in GBM progression, and the molecular mechanisms related to PrPC in vesicle-dependent transport and its effects in the tumor environment are still unclear. Since PrPC may influence tumor cell biology, our group has been exploring this molecule as a target for new GSCs-based therapies in brain tumors. Thus, it is imperative to investigate the role of PrPC in the vesicle biogenesis and cargo of GSCs, and hopefully help to achieve a new knowledge level in cell-to-cell communication and tumor microenvironment in GBM. (AU)