Brain gliomas and growth factors: immunohistochemical, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry and RT-PCR profile in pediatric age.

Brain gliomas and growth factors: immunohistochemical, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry and RT-PCR profile in pediatric age. J Biol Regul Homeost Agents. 2019 Sep 10;33(5) Authors: Taurone S, Spoletini M, Chiappetta C, Di Gioia C, Carletti R, Greco A, Agostinelli E, Ralli M, Giangaspero F, Artico M, Pastore FS, Scarpa S, Gobbi P, Di Liddo R Abstract Gliomas represent over 50% of tumors occurring in children. Evidence suggests that glioma stem cells (GSCs), maintained by the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β1) pathway, and vascularization substantially contribute to tumor aggressiveness. The identification of important angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) may represent a crucial step in the therapeutic approach against tumor growth and metastatic diffusion. The aim of this study was to identify the expression of TGF-β1, VEGF and VEGF-receptors in brain gliomas. Specimens of 16 gliomas and 4 controls from children aged 0.2-14 years were used in the study. Immunohistochemical analysis and gene expression study from specimens was performed. Flow cytometry analysis on GSCs was performed to ascertain the expression of VEGF and VEGF-R2 in the tumor stem cell compartment. Newly diagnosed gliomas mainly showed moderate to strong VEGF immunostaining and increased expression of pro-inflammatory molecules in glioma cells. The proportion of TGF-β1 positive endothelial cells was markedly lower in normal br...
Source: Journal of Biological Regulators and Homeostatic Agents - Category: Biomedical Science Tags: J Biol Regul Homeost Agents Source Type: research