Research from the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at the University of Nottingham could reshape how scientists study glioblastoma, helping to pave the way for the development of new ways to treat this aggressive brain cancer.
Glioblastoma is the most common high-grade brain tumour in adults and affects 3,200 people each year in the UK. Despite decades of research, it remains incredibly difficult to treat and has an average life expectancy of just 12 to 18 months.
One of the challenges in treating glioblastoma is its complexity. No two tumour cells behave in exactly the same way, and glioblastoma cells can reprogramme nearby ‘healthy’ brain cells (called astrocytes) to support tumour growth by helping cancer cells survive, spread and resist treatment. It is not understood exactly how this happens.
New research by Une Kontrimaite (below, second on the right), a PhD student at our Nottingham Centre of Excellence, has shown how advanced molecular imaging can help scientists study glioblastoma one cell at a time. Using a technique called mass spectrometry imaging, the study examined the small molecules present in individual cancer cells and nearby healthy brain cells, called astrocytes.
The research, published in Analytical Chemistry and funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and supported by the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence award, shows that by analysing cells in the tumour margins (where tumour infiltrates healthy tissue) one by one, researchers can see how tumour cells differ from each other, how they change when astrocytes are nearby, and how astrocytes themselves are affected by cancer cells. This analysis provides a much more detailed picture of how tumour cells and healthy brain cells communicate with each other.
This work is helping to uncover the mechanisms that glioblastoma cells use to influence their environment and promote tumour growth. By identifying the key molecules involved in these interactions, the research could help develop new treatments that target tumour cells directly, as well as stop them from influencing healthy brain cells to promote their own growth.
Une said: “Our next step is to understand how important these molecules are in shaping cell behaviour. We are now testing whether disrupting the biological processes linked to these molecules can reduce the tumour‑supporting activity we see in the brain. This will help us identify which processes are most critical and which could potentially be targeted in future treatments.”
With continued investment and collaboration, research like this is deepening our understanding of glioblastoma and opening up new possibilities for future treatments.
Your support helps make this progress possible. Please consider making a one-off donation or setting up a monthly gift today.
Related reading:
