A PDGFRα-driven mouse model of glioblastoma reveals a stathmin1-mediated mechanism of sensitivity to vinblastine

Nat Commun. 2018 Aug 6;9(1):3116. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-05036-4.

Abstract

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive primary brain cancer that includes focal amplification of PDGFRα and for which there are no effective therapies. Herein, we report the development of a genetically engineered mouse model of GBM based on autocrine, chronic stimulation of overexpressed PDGFRα, and the analysis of GBM signaling pathways using proteomics. We discover the tubulin-binding protein Stathmin1 (STMN1) as a PDGFRα phospho-regulated target, and that this mis-regulation confers sensitivity to vinblastine (VB) cytotoxicity. Treatment of PDGFRα-positive mouse and a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) GBMs with VB in mice prolongs survival and is dependent on STMN1. Our work reveals a previously unconsidered link between PDGFRα activity and STMN1, and highlight an STMN1-dependent cytotoxic effect of VB in GBM.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Apoptosis
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Cell Cycle
  • Cell Survival
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Computational Biology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Glioblastoma / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Phosphorylation
  • Proteomics
  • Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Stathmin / metabolism*
  • Vinblastine / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Stathmin
  • Stmn1 protein, mouse
  • Vinblastine
  • PDGFRB protein, human
  • Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta