Molecular mechanisms of the effect of TGF-β1 on U87 human glioblastoma cells

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most widespread and aggressive type of primary brain tumor. The prognosis following diagnosis with GBM is poor, with a median survival time of 14 months. Tumor cell invasion, metastasis and proliferation are the major causes of mortality in patients with GBM. In order to develop effective GBM treatment methods it is necessary to identify novel targets involved in these processes. Recently, there has been increasing interest in investigating the signaling pathways involved in GBM development, and the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) signaling pathway is understood to be significant for regulating the behavior of GBM, as well as stimulating its invasion and metastatic development. Particular interest has been given to investigating the modulation of TGF-beta-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT); during this process, epithelial cells transdifferentiate into mobile cells with a mesenchymal phenotype. The induction of EMT increases the invasiveness of various types of carcinoma; however, the role of TGF-beta in this process remains to be elucidated, particularly in the case of GBM. The current study presents a comparative proteome mapping of the U87 human glioblastoma cell line, with and without TGF-beta 1 treatment. Proteome analysis identified numerous proteins involved in the molecular mechanisms of GBM oncogenesis and TGF-beta 1 signaling in glioblastoma. The results of the present study facilitated the identification of novel potential markers of metastasis and candidates for targeted glioblastoma therapy, which may potentially be validated and used in clinical medicine to develop improved approaches for GBM diagnosis and treatment.