Abstract 893: GD2 is a potential biomarker for glioblastoma cancer stem cells
Authors: Nguyen Khoa , Tran Minh , Cheng Thomas , Willingham Kurtis , Izadpanah Reza , Burow Matthew 
Published: June 2022

Introduction: Treatment resistance and tumor recurrence of Glioblastoma (GBM) have been associated with cancer stem cells (CSCs), a subpopulation of cancer cells defined by capabilities of sphere-formation in 3D culture, self-renewal, migration, and survival in serum-deprived conditions. Therefore, therapies specifically targeting CSCs are urgently needed. Previous works have identified Ganglioside GD2 as a biomarker of triple negative breast cancer CSCs and suggested that GD2 is highly expressed in GBM cells. Here, we hypothesize that GD2 is also a potential biomarker of GBM CSCs and is involved with cancer stemness.

Methods: GBM cells U-87 MG and U-118 MG were sorted as GD2- and GD2+ cells via FACS. Cells were cultured in 2D and 3D. 3D neurosphere size was measured and GD2 in 2D and 3D cultures was quantified via flow cytometry. Transwell migration assay was used to examine the migration capability of GD2- and GD2+ cells. Unsorted cells were cultured in either complete (10% serum) or deprived (1% serum) media and their GD2 was quantified via flow cytometry.

Results: To test our hypothesis, we determined whether GD2+ cells express CSCs capabilities of sphere-formation in 3D culture, migration, and survival in serum-deprived conditions. First, we examined the sphere-forming capability by culturing GD2-, GD2+, and unsorted cells in 3D and found that they all formed neurospheres. However, GD2+ neurosphere size was significantly larger compared with unsorted and GD2- neurospheres for day 1 and 2. Interestingly, the significant difference was no longer seen on day 6. Analysis for GD2 expression in the spheres revealed that GD2- spheres contained GD2+ cells, suggesting that GD2- cells could spontaneously dedifferentiate to generate CSCs. To test this, we sorted GD2- and GD2+ cells into 2D conditions and quantified daily GD2 expression via flow cytometry. We found that GD2- seeded cells spontaneously expressed GD2 over six days, explaining the presence of GD2 in GD2- neurospheres. GD2+ cells also demonstrated the enhanced capability to migrate of CSCs with a significantly higher number of migrated cells compared with GD2- cells in the transwell migration assay. To examine the ability to survive in serum-deprived conditions, we cultured unsorted cells in either complete or deprived media. We found that these cells proliferated in the serum-deprived condition at approximately the same level as complete media. GD2 analysis by flow cytometry also showed a remarkably higher percentage of GD2+ cells in deprived media, suggesting that GD2 is involved in driving cell survival and maintaining cancer stemness in serum-deprived conditions.

Conclusion: Our data suggests that GD2+ cells demonstrate characteristics of CSCs and GD2 is a potential biomarker of CSCs in GBM. Therefore, GD2 could be utilized as a differential therapeutic target for GBM. Further mechanistic studies are necessary to elucidate how GD2 is synthesized and maintains the stemness of GBM CSCs.

Citation Format: Khoa Nguyen, Minh Tran, Thomas Cheng, Kurtis Willingham, Reza Izadpanah, Matthew Burow. GD2 is a potential biomarker for glioblastoma cancer stem cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 893.