Targeting cancer stem cells in medulloblastoma by inhibiting AMBRA1 dual function in autophagy and STAT3 signalling
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ABSTRACT: Medulloblastoma (MB) is a childhood malignant brain tumour comprising four main subgroups characterized by different genetic alterations and rate of mortality. Among MB subgroups, patients with enhanced levels of the c-MYC oncogene (MBGroup3) have the poorest prognosis. Here we identified a previously unrecognized role of the pro-autophagy factor AMBRA1 in regulating MB. We demonstrated that AMBRA1 expression levels strongly depend on c-MYC expression and correlate with patient poor prognosis; also, knockdown of AMBRA1 reduces MB stem potential, growth and migration of MBGroup3 cells in vitro and in vivo. At a molecular level, AMBRA1 mediates these effects by suppressing SOCS3, an inhibitor of STAT3 activation. In turn, active STAT3 increases c-MYC expression that, in a positive feedback loop, sustains AMBRA1 transcription. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of autophagy profoundly affects stem potential and metastasization of MBGroup3 cells in vitro and in vivo, and a combined anti-autophagy and anti-STAT3 approach impacts MBGroup3 cell survival. Taken together, our data identified the c-MYC/AMBRA1/STAT3 axis as a strong oncogenic signalling pathway with significance for both patient stratification strategies and targeted treatments of MBGroup3.
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE134109 | GEO | 2021/09/08
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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