AUTHOR=Liu Junhui , Zhu Xiaonan , Gao Lun , Geng Rongxin , Tao Xiang , Xu Haitao , Chen Zhibiao 

TITLE=Expression and Prognostic Role of Glia Maturation Factor-γ in Gliomas

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience

VOLUME=Volume 15 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/molecular-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnmol.2022.906762

DOI=10.3389/fnmol.2022.906762

ISSN=1662-5099

ABSTRACT=Background
Glia maturation factor-γ (GMFG) regulates actin cytoskeletal organization and
promotes the invasion of cancer cells. However, its expression pattern and molecular
function in gliomas have not been clearly defined.
Methods
In this study, public datasets comprising 2518 gliomas samples were used to explore
GMFG expression and its correlation with malignancy in gliomas.
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining was performed to determine the expression of
GMFG in gliomas using an in-house cohort that contained 120 gliomas samples. Gene
ontology enrichment analysis was conducted using DAVID tool. The correlation
between GMFG expression and immune cells infiltration was evaluated using TIMER,
TISCH database, and IHC staining assays. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to
determine the prognostic role of GMFG and its association with Temozolomide (TMZ)
response in gliomas.
Results
GMFG expression was higher in gliomas compared with non-tumor brain tissues both
in public datasets and in-house cohort. High expression of GMFG significantly
associated with WHO grade IV, IDH 1/2 wildtype, and mesenchymal subtypes.
Bioinformatic prediction and IHC analysis revealed that GMFG expression obviously
correlated with the macrophage marker CD163 in gliomas. Moreover, both lower grade
glioma (LGG) and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients with high GMFG
expression had shorter overall survival than those with low GMFG expression. These
results indicate that GMFG may be a therapeutic target for the treatment of such patients.
Patients with low GMFG expression who received chemotherapy had a longer survival
time than those with high GMFG expression. For patients who received ion
radiotherapy (IR) only, the GMFG expression level had no effect on the overall survival
neither in CGGA and TCGA datasets
Conclusion
The GMFG is a novel prognostic biomarker both LGG and GBM patients. Increased
GMFG expression is associated with tumor associated macrophages(TAMs) infiltration
and with a bad response to TMZ treatment.