Yu Chen, Tongyu Zhou, Rongrong Zhou, Wen Sun, Yan Li, Qiyi Zhou, Dongcheng Xu, Yuxin Zhao, Peihao Hu, Jingrui Liang, Yumeng Zhang, Bin Zhong, Juncheng Yao, Di Jing
{"title":"TRAF7 knockdown induces cellular senescence and synergizes with lomustine to inhibit glioma progression and recurrence.","authors":"Yu Chen, Tongyu Zhou, Rongrong Zhou, Wen Sun, Yan Li, Qiyi Zhou, Dongcheng Xu, Yuxin Zhao, Peihao Hu, Jingrui Liang, Yumeng Zhang, Bin Zhong, Juncheng Yao, Di Jing","doi":"10.1186/s13046-025-03363-1","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The progression and recurrence are the fatal prognostic factors in glioma patients. However, the therapeutic role and potential mechanism of TRAF7 in glioma patients remain largely unknown.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>TRAF7 RNA-seq was analysed with the TCGA and CGGA databases between glioma tissues and normal brain tissues. The expression of TRAF7, cellular senescence and cell cycle arrest pathways in glioma tissues and cell lines was detected by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The interaction between TRAF7 and KLF4 was determined by Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assays. The functions of TRAF7 combined with lomustine in glioma were assessed by both in vitro, in vivo and patient-derived primary and recurrent glioma stem cell (GSC) assays.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>High TRAF7 expression is closely associated with a higher recurrence rate and poorer overall survival (OS). In vitro, TRAF7 knockdown significantly inhibits glioma cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. RNA-seq analysis revealed that TRAF7 inhibition activates pathways related to cellular senescence and cell cycle arrest. In both in vitro and patient-derived GSC assays, the combination of sh-TRAF7 and lomustine enhanced therapeutic efficacy by inducing senescence and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, surpassing the effects of lomustine or TRAF7 inhibition alone. Mechanistically, TRAF7 interacts with KLF4, and a rescue assay demonstrated that KLF4 overexpression could reverse the effects of TRAF7 depletion on proliferation and cellular senescence. In vivo, TRAF7 knockdown combined with lomustine treatment effectively suppressed glioma growth.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>TRAF7 could be used as a predictive biomarker and the potential therapeutic target among National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) treatment guidelines in the progression and recurrence of glioma. Lomustine, regulating cellular senescence and cell cycle could be the priority choice in glioma patients with high-level TRAF7 expression.</p>","PeriodicalId":50199,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research","volume":"44 1","pages":"112"},"PeriodicalIF":11.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11969748/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13046-025-03363-1","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ONCOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: The progression and recurrence are the fatal prognostic factors in glioma patients. However, the therapeutic role and potential mechanism of TRAF7 in glioma patients remain largely unknown.
Methods: TRAF7 RNA-seq was analysed with the TCGA and CGGA databases between glioma tissues and normal brain tissues. The expression of TRAF7, cellular senescence and cell cycle arrest pathways in glioma tissues and cell lines was detected by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The interaction between TRAF7 and KLF4 was determined by Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assays. The functions of TRAF7 combined with lomustine in glioma were assessed by both in vitro, in vivo and patient-derived primary and recurrent glioma stem cell (GSC) assays.
Results: High TRAF7 expression is closely associated with a higher recurrence rate and poorer overall survival (OS). In vitro, TRAF7 knockdown significantly inhibits glioma cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. RNA-seq analysis revealed that TRAF7 inhibition activates pathways related to cellular senescence and cell cycle arrest. In both in vitro and patient-derived GSC assays, the combination of sh-TRAF7 and lomustine enhanced therapeutic efficacy by inducing senescence and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, surpassing the effects of lomustine or TRAF7 inhibition alone. Mechanistically, TRAF7 interacts with KLF4, and a rescue assay demonstrated that KLF4 overexpression could reverse the effects of TRAF7 depletion on proliferation and cellular senescence. In vivo, TRAF7 knockdown combined with lomustine treatment effectively suppressed glioma growth.
Conclusion: TRAF7 could be used as a predictive biomarker and the potential therapeutic target among National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) treatment guidelines in the progression and recurrence of glioma. Lomustine, regulating cellular senescence and cell cycle could be the priority choice in glioma patients with high-level TRAF7 expression.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research is an esteemed peer-reviewed publication that focuses on cancer research, encompassing everything from fundamental discoveries to practical applications.
We welcome submissions that showcase groundbreaking advancements in the field of cancer research, especially those that bridge the gap between laboratory findings and clinical implementation. Our goal is to foster a deeper understanding of cancer, improve prevention and detection strategies, facilitate accurate diagnosis, and enhance treatment options.
We are particularly interested in manuscripts that shed light on the mechanisms behind the development and progression of cancer, including metastasis. Additionally, we encourage submissions that explore molecular alterations or biomarkers that can help predict the efficacy of different treatments or identify drug resistance. Translational research related to targeted therapies, personalized medicine, tumor immunotherapy, and innovative approaches applicable to clinical investigations are also of great interest to us.
We provide a platform for the dissemination of large-scale molecular characterizations of human tumors and encourage researchers to share their insights, discoveries, and methodologies with the wider scientific community.
By publishing high-quality research articles, reviews, and commentaries, the Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research strives to contribute to the continuous improvement of cancer care and make a meaningful impact on patients' lives.