Blockade of mitochondrial peptide Humanin enhances chemosensitivity of glioblastoma cells

C.ZUCCATO; M.PIDRE; V.ROMANOWSKI; A.J.NICOLA CANDIA; M.GARCIA FALLIT; M.CANDOLFI; A.ASAD; S.SAGRIPANTI; A. SEILICOVICH

Jornada; XXXIV Jornadas Multiciplinarias de Oncología Angel H. Ropffo; 2019

The mitochondrial-derived peptide Humanin (HN) exerts potent cytoprotective effects in several normal and tumoral cells. Administration of HN has been proposed as a therapeutic approach for several chronic diseases. Although HN has been shown to protect normal tissues against the toxic effects of chemotherapy, its role in tumor chemoresistance is poorly understood. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary brain cancer. We aimed to evaluate whether HN affects the sensitivity of GBM cells to chemotherapy. We observed expression of HN in human and rat GBM cells by immunofluorescence. Then, we evaluated the expression of HN in human U251 GBM cells in response to cytotoxic stimuli. Expression of HN in U251 cells as assessed by flow cytometry was upregulated following incubation with Cisplatin (CP, 5 μM) and Temozolomide (TMZ, 15 μM), and at a lesser extent by serum deprivation (p