Inhibition of GPR68 kills glioblastoma in zebrafish xenograft models

Inhibition and knockdown of GPR68 negatively affects glioblastoma cell survival in vitro by inducing ferroptosis. Herein, we aimed to demonstrate that inhibition of GPR68 reduces the survival of glioblastoma cells in vivo using two orthotopic larval xenograft models in Danio rerio, using GBM cell lines U87-MG and U138-MG. In vivo survival of the cancer cells was assessed in the setting of GPR68 inhibition or knockdown.

In vitro, shRNA-mediated knockdown of GPR68 inhibition demonstrated potent cytotoxic effects against U87 and U138 glioblastoma cell lines. This effect was associated with increased intracellular lipid peroxidation, suggesting ferroptosis as the underlying mechanism of cell death. Translating these findings in vivo, we established a novel xenograft model in zebrafish by successfully grafting fluorescently labeled human glioblastoma cells, which were previously shown to overexpress GPR68. shRNA knockdown of GPR68 significantly reduced the viability of grafted GBM cells within this model. Additionally, treatment with ogremorphin (OGM), a highly specific small molecule inhibitor of GPR68, also reduced the viability of grafted GBM cells with limited toxicity to the developing zebrafish embryos. This study suggests that therapeutic targeting of GPR68 with small molecules like OGM represents a promising approach for the treatment of GBM.