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Updated: May 10, 2026
09:40
Characterization of Functionally Associated miRNAs in Glioblastoma and their Engineering into Artificial Clusters for Gene Therapy
Published on: October 4, 2019
MicroRNA-128 coordinately targets Polycomb Repressor Complexes in glioma stem cells
Pierpaolo Peruzzi1, Agnieszka Bronisz, Michal O Nowicki
1Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Neuro-Oncology
|June 5, 2013
Summary
MicroRNA-128 (miR-128) suppresses Polycomb Repressor Complex (PRC) activity in glioblastoma. Loss of miR-128 is an early event in gliomagenesis, impacting cancer stem cell maintenance and radioresistance.
Area of Science:
- Epigenetics
- Cancer Biology
- Molecular Oncology
Background:
- Polycomb Repressor Complex (PRC) is an epigenetic regulator involved in glioblastoma oncogenesis.
- PRC contributes to cancer stem cell maintenance and radioresistance in glioblastoma.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the role of microRNA-128 (miR-128) in regulating PRC activity.
- Determine the significance of miR-128 in gliomagenesis and glioblastoma progression.
Main Methods:
- Utilized glioblastoma patient samples, glioma stem cells, and mouse models.
- Performed gene/protein expression analysis, cellular assays, and genetic manipulation (lentiviral infection, oligonucleotide transfection).
Main Results:
- miR-128 directly targets SUZ12 (PRC2 component) and BMI1 (PRC1 component), reducing PRC activity.
- Opposite expression of miR-128 and PRC components observed in glioblastomas versus normal brain.
- miR-128 reduces radioresistance of glioma stem cells and its loss is an early event in gliomagenesis.
Conclusions:
- miR-128 acts as a crucial suppressor of PRC activity.
- Absence of miR-128 is an early event in gliomagenesis, contributing to glioblastoma development.
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