A poster entitled: Targeting Collagen Regulation in Glioblastoma Multiforme is being presented at the Annual British Neuro-Oncology Society Conference in Liverpool, which runs from 9th to 11th July. The authors, who used a Whitley H35 Hypoxystation in their work, are Abaitua F, O’Neill K and Syed N from Imperial College London and Crook T from Dundee University. Read on for the abstract …
Abstract
Extracellular matrices (ECM) are quintessential complex structures that provide cells and tissues with functional support for adhesion, migration, cell-to-cell communication and differentiation. Collagens are fibrillar proteins that constitute the major component of ECM and have a key structural role. Intracellular maturation of collagen precursors, prior to secretion, is dependent on the hydroxylation of the collagen proline residues which is mediated by prolyl 3-hydroxylases (P3H) and prolyl 4-hydroxylases (P4H) family of enzymes.
Although, ECM and collagen prolyl-hydroxylases have been shown to be important players in cancer migration and invasion, little is known of their role in brain tumours.
To examine the role of P3H and P4H enzymes in the biology of GBM we profiled their expression using Rembrandt and Oncomine databases. For functional studies we assessed the effects of two independent inhibitors of collagen prolyl-hydroxylases on the growth of these lines using proliferation and apoptotic assays (SRB and Annexin V respectively).
The theme of the conference is ‘Contemporary Approaches to Paediatric and Adult Brain Tumours’.