Investigating the Role of Pannexin 1 in Patient-Derived Glioblastoma Multiforme Cells
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly aggressive and fatal central nervous system tumor in adults. We sought to investigate the effects of targeting pannexin 1 (PANX1) as a novel strategy for GBM treatment interventions. PANX1 is a glycoprotein that forms heptameric channels facilitating ion and metabolite transport across cell membranes. Aberrant PANX1 overexpression has been associated with tumor-promoting properties in numerous cancer types. Here, we used bulk RNA-sequencing to show that PANX1 depletion from patient-derived GBM cells generated the differential expression of more than 2000 genes. Differentially expressed genes in PANX1-knockout GBM cells were primarily associated with cell movement and intercellular communication. Pharmacological PANX1 inhibition in GBM cells reduced cell growth and altered the appearance of filamentous actin. Our findings highlight potential molecular pathway connections to PANX1 in GBM and support the continued evaluation of disrupting PANX1 function as a potential GBM treatment to improve patient outcomes.