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Updated: Jun 23, 2025
Translational Orthotopic Models of Glioblastoma Multiforme
Published on: February 17, 2023
Expression and prognostic significance of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein in brain tumors: a retrospective
Soo Min Son1,2, Hye Sun Lee1, Jeongsu Kim3,4
1Family Medicine Clinic and Research Institute of Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea.
Background:
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant brain tumor and has poor survival. An elevated cholesterol level is involved occurrence and progression of brain tumors. Microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTTP) is a target for lowering lipids, and its inhibition helps to improve hyperlipidemia. However, whether the altered expression of MTTP affects the development and prognosis of brain tumors is currently unidentified. The purpose of this study is to determine MTTP as a prognostic marker for brain tumors.
Methods:
Data for patients with brain cancers and control brain tissue were acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The datasets were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U-test or t-test to compare the expression of MTTP in normal and brain tumor tissues. To examine whether MTTP affected the prognosis of patients with brain tumors, log-rank test and multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression were conducted.
Results:
The expression of MTTP was significantly upregulated in brain tumors and was correlated with age, tumor stage, and isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation. Importantly, increased MTTP expression in brain tumors is associated with poor patient survival.
Conclusions:
High MTTP expression is associated with brain tumor development, tumor stage, and prognosis. Therefore, MTTP is an independent prognostic indicator for brain tumors, which can serve as one of the possible targets for adjuvant treatment of GBM.
