High metallothionein predicts poor survival in glioblastoma multiforme. Issue 1 (December 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mehrian-Shai, Ruty; Yalon, Michal; Simon, Amos; Eyal, Eran; Pismenyuk, Tatyana; Moshe, Itai; Constantini, Shlomi; Toren, Amos
• Is Part Of: BMC medical genomics. Volume 8:Issue 1(2015)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 9
• Publication Date: 2015-12
• Subjects: Glioblastoma multiforme -- Survival -- Metallothionein -- Zinc -- p53; Medical genetics -- Periodicals; Genomics -- Periodicals; 616.042
• DOI: 10.1186/s12920-015-0137-6
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1755-8794

Abstract

Abstract Background Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive malignant brain tumor. Even with vigorous surgery, radiation and chemotherapy treatment, survival rates of GBM are very poor and predictive markers for prognosis are currently lacking. Methods We performed whole genome expression studies of 67 fresh frozen untreated GBM tumors and validated results by 210 GBM samples' expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Results and discussion Here we show that in GBM patients, high metallothionein(MT) expression is associated with poor survival whereas lowMT levels correspond to good prognosis. Furthermore we show that in U87 GBM cell line, p53 is found to be in an inactive mutant-like conformation concurrently with more than 4 times higherMT3 expression level than normal astrocytes and U251GBM cell line. We then show that U87- p53 inactivity can be rescued by zinc (Zn). Conclusions Taken together, these data suggest thatMT expression may be a potential novel prognostic biomarker for GBM, and that U87 cells may be a good model for patients with non active WTp53 resulting from high levels ofMT s.