Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 6, 2026
Preparation Of Neovascular Tissues from Human Glioma Tissues for Quantitative Proteomics Analysis of Tumor Angiogenesis
Published on: March 20, 2026
Proteomic expression analysis and comparison of protein and mRNA expression profiles in human malignant gliomas
Oscar Persson1, Ulrika Brynnel, Fredrik Levander
1Department of Neurosurgery, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. oscar.persson@med.lu.se.
Abstract:
Gliomas are highly heterogeneous and therapy resistant tumors with a poor prognosis. Novel experimental therapeutic approaches have shown some promising results, but often target specific molecular mechanisms or antigens, and careful characterization of the molecular subgroup of the tumors will therefore likely be important. Thorough investigations of gene and protein alterations are also important to better understand the tumorigenic mechanisms. We have undertaken a proteomic approach, using 2-D DIGE and LC-MS/MS protein identification, to investigate 38 human gliomas and normal brains. We show that the proteome profile can discriminate between normal brain and tumors, and between tumors of varying grade by a supervised classifier. Furthermore, an analysis of the identified proteins shows an enrichment of proteins associated to pathways known to be central in gliomas, such as MEK/Erk signaling and actin cytoskeleton. It also shows a shift between different glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) representatives in different grades. In a previous study the gene expression profile was characterized in an almost identical set of tumors, which enabled a paired analysis of the gene and protein expression profiles. We show that there is often a weak correlation between the mRNA and protein level. This, together with the ability of proteomics to identify PTMs, emphasizes the benefit of characterization on a protein level.
Insights
Proteomics can distinguish glioma grades and identify key molecular pathways. Protein analysis offers unique insights beyond gene expression, crucial for understanding these complex brain tumors.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Proteomics
- Molecular biology
Background:
- Gliomas are aggressive, therapy-resistant brain tumors with poor prognoses.
- Understanding molecular heterogeneity is vital for developing targeted therapies.
- Investigating gene and protein alterations is key to elucidating tumorigenic mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate human gliomas using a proteomic approach.
- To characterize proteome profiles and identify differentially expressed proteins.
- To compare gene and protein expression profiles for paired analysis.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 2-D DIGE and LC-MS/MS for protein identification.
- Analyzed 38 human gliomas and normal brain tissue samples.
- Employed a supervised classifier to differentiate tumor grades.
Main Results:
- Proteome profiles successfully discriminated between normal brain and gliomas, and between different tumor grades.
- Identified enriched proteins in pathways central to gliomas, including MEK/Erk signaling and actin cytoskeleton.
- Observed shifts in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) representatives across tumor grades.
- Found a weak correlation between mRNA and protein levels, highlighting proteomics' unique value.
Conclusions:
- Proteomics provides a powerful tool for classifying gliomas and understanding their molecular underpinnings.
- Protein-level analysis, including post-translational modifications (PTMs), offers critical insights not obtainable from gene expression alone.
- This study underscores the importance of proteomic characterization for advancing glioma research and therapeutic strategies.
