1. Academic Validation
  2. Local anesthetics impair the growth and self-renewal of glioblastoma stem cells by inhibiting ZDHHC15-mediated GP130 palmitoylation

Local anesthetics impair the growth and self-renewal of glioblastoma stem cells by inhibiting ZDHHC15-mediated GP130 palmitoylation

  • Stem Cell Res Ther. 2021 Feb 4;12(1):107. doi: 10.1186/s13287-021-02175-2.
Xiaoqing Fan 1 Haoran Yang 2 3 Chenggang Zhao 3 Lizhu Hu 3 Delong Wang 1 Ruiting Wang 1 Zhiyou Fang 2 3 Xueran Chen 4 5
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), No. 17, Lujiang Road, Hefei, 230001, Anhui, China.
  • 2 Department of Medical Laboratory, Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 350, Shushan Hu Road, Hefei, 230031, Anhui, China.
  • 3 Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 350, Shushan Hu Road, Hefei, 230031, Anhui, China.
  • 4 Department of Medical Laboratory, Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 350, Shushan Hu Road, Hefei, 230031, Anhui, China. xueranchen@cmpt.ac.cn.
  • 5 Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 350, Shushan Hu Road, Hefei, 230031, Anhui, China. xueranchen@cmpt.ac.cn.
Abstract

Background: A large number of preclinical studies have shown that local anesthetics have a direct inhibitory effect on tumor biological activities, including cell survival, proliferation, migration, and invasion. There are few studies on the role of local anesthetics in Cancer Stem Cells. This study aimed to determine the possible role of local anesthetics in glioblastoma stem cell (GSC) self-renewal and the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Methods: The effects of local anesthetics in GSCs were investigated through in vitro and in vivo assays (i.e., Cell Counting Kit 8, spheroidal formation assay, double immunofluorescence, western blot, and xenograft model). The acyl-biotin exchange method (ABE) assay was identified proteins that are S-acylated by zinc finger Asp-His-His-Cys-type palmitoyltransferase 15 (ZDHHC15). Western blot, co-immunoprecipitation, and liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer-mass spectrometry assays were used to explore the mechanisms of ZDHHC15 in effects of local anesthetics in GSCs.

Results: In this study, we identified a novel mechanism through which local anesthetics can damage the malignant phenotype of glioma. We found that local anesthetics prilocaine, lidocaine, procaine, and ropivacaine can impair the survival and self-renewal of GSCs, especially the classic glioblastoma subtype. These findings suggest that local anesthetics may weaken ZDHHC15 transcripts and decrease GP130 palmitoylation levels and membrane localization, thus inhibiting the activation of IL-6/STAT3 signaling.

Conclusions: In conclusion, our work emphasizes that ZDHHC15 is a candidate therapeutic target, and local anesthetics are potential therapeutic options for glioblastoma.

Keywords

GP130; Glioblastoma stem cells; Local anesthetics; STAT3; Self-renewal; ZDHHC15.

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