Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 7, 2026
Isolation and Flow Cytometric Analysis of Glioma-infiltrating Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells
Published on: November 28, 2015
Interferon Regulatory Factor 7 Promoted Glioblastoma Progression and Stemness by Modulating IL-6 Expression in
Zongze Li1, Qiming Huang2, Heping Chen3
1Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 6 Tiantan Xili, Dong Cheng District, Beijing, 100050, China.
Background:
Interferon Regulatory Factor 7 (IRF7) is associated with chronic inflammation initiated by the activation of microglia. However it remains poorly defined how IRF7 activates microglia to initiate inflammatory microenvironment, and thus promotes the growth and malignancy of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). This study investigated the role of IRF7 expression in microglia which increases GBM progression.
Methods:
We established stable human microglia (HMs) over-expressing IRF-7 or empty vector by lentiviral transduction and stable selection. These HM-IRF-7 cells were co-cultured with U87-MG to examine their influence on GBM, in terms of cell proliferation, apoptosis and stemness of U87-MG. By qRT-PCR and ELISA assays, the expression of key genes and secretion of inflammatory factors were identified in inflammatory signal pathway respectively. We also analyzed whether the expression of IRF7 and its target gene IL-6 correlated with PFS (progression-free survival) and OS (overall survival) in clinical samples by Kaplan-Meier survival curves.
Results:
HMs can be engineered to stably express high level of IFR7 with IRF7 lentivirus, and was found to promote U87-MG growth and inhibit its apoptosis in co-culture. Meanwhile, U87-MG seemed to show stem cell character with ALDH1 expression. These results may be related to IRF7 initiating IL-6 expression and secretion in both HM and U87-MG cells. The IRF7 and IL-6 were highly expressed in GBM tissues, and IL-6 secretion was high in GBM serums, both of which were significantly correlated with PFS and OS.
Conclusions:
The immune function of HMs was changed while it expressed IRF7 genes. The results demonstrated for the first time that IRF7 of microglia promoted GBM growth and stemness by mediating IL-6 expression, and revealed that IRF-7 and IL-6 were independent factors affecting the overall survival probability.
Insights
Interferon Regulatory Factor 7 (IRF7) in microglia drives glioblastoma growth and stemness by increasing Interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression. High IRF7 and IL-6 levels correlate with poorer survival in glioblastoma patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Interferon Regulatory Factor 7 (IRF7) is implicated in chronic inflammation and microglial activation.
- The precise mechanisms by which IRF7 promotes glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) progression remain unclear.
- This study investigates the role of microglial IRF7 in GBM development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate how IRF7 expressed in microglia influences GBM growth, apoptosis, and stemness.
- To determine the role of IRF7 in mediating inflammatory signaling pathways within the GBM microenvironment.
- To assess the clinical relevance of IRF7 and its target genes in GBM patient survival.
Main Methods:
- Stable human microglia (HM) overexpressing IRF7 were co-cultured with U87-MG GBM cells.
- Cell proliferation, apoptosis, and stemness markers (ALDH1) were assessed.
- Gene expression (qRT-PCR) and inflammatory factor secretion (ELISA) were analyzed.
- Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed on clinical GBM samples.
Main Results:
- Overexpression of IRF7 in HMs promoted U87-MG cell proliferation and inhibited apoptosis.
- IRF7 expression in microglia induced IL-6 expression and secretion in both HMs and U87-MG cells.
- High IRF7 and IL-6 levels in GBM tissues and serums correlated significantly with shorter progression-free and overall survival.
Conclusions:
- Microglial IRF7 expression alters immune function and promotes GBM growth and stemness.
- IRF7 mediates GBM progression through the induction of IL-6.
- IRF7 and IL-6 are independent prognostic factors for glioblastoma survival.
More Related Videos
05:45Quantitative Immunohistochemistry of the Cellular Microenvironment in Patient Glioblastoma Resections
Published on: July 31, 2017
09:40Characterization of Functionally Associated miRNAs in Glioblastoma and their Engineering into Artificial Clusters for Gene Therapy
Published on: October 4, 2019
Related Concept Videos
01:24T Cell Types and Functions
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
01:01Regulation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells
01:22MicroRNAs
01:22MicroRNAs
02:07Tumor Progression
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
02:40Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...