CDH1 hypermethylation: a potential molecular pathway for invasiveness in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive central nervous system primary tumor. Prognosis is poor, mainly due to the malignant characteristics of the tumor, such as high cell proliferation and invasiveness. CDH1 hypermethylation is linked to the invasive potential in various cancer types, but its importance is still unknown in glioblastoma. In this context, the methylation status of CDH1 was analyzed using MSP-PCR (Methylation-specific Polymerase Chain Reaction) in glioblastoma (n = 34) and normal glial tissue samples (n = 11). CDH1 hypermethylation was found in 39.4% (13/34) of the tumor samples and none of the normal glial tissue, suggesting a relation between CDH1 hypermethylation and glioblastoma (P = 0.0195). Finally, this study showed unprecedented information that could contribute to clarifying the molecular pathways involved in the invasiveness and aggressiveness of this type of cancer.