Cellular heterogeneity and therapeutic response profiling of human IDH + glioma stem cell cultures

Glioblastoma stem cell (GSC) cultures are initiated from glioblastoma (GBM) surgical resection tissue. When grown appropriately they can capture and propagate key GBM molecular and cellular features. We have characterized cellular, genomic and proteomic features of four isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-expressing (IDH +) GSC cultures as cellular models for ~ 90% of adult GBMs. We demonstrate that GSC cultures can be continuously propagated in defined, serum-free media and 5% oxygen without specialized growth substrates; have culture-specific genomic and mtDNA variants together with gene/protein expression profiles; and display reproducible dose-survival curves for the GBM standard-of-care therapies ionizing radiation (IR) and temozolomide (TMZ). In order to better define GSC culture cellular heterogeneity and dynamics, we used lentiviral DNA barcoding, mtDNA variants and single cell gene expression profiling over 40 days after IR treatment. GSC cultures are versatile in their ability to support many in vitro protocols including high throughput screens as well as xenograft, organoid and other disease modeling protocols. They provide a simple cellular disease model for better understanding GBM biology, and for identifying new, potentially more effective GBM therapies and treatment regimens.