Abstract 5807: mTOR regulates stem cells of glioblastoma by altering the self-renewal and proliferation

Abstract The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR: aka mammalian target of rapamycin), a serine/threonine kinase, functions by forming two multiprotein complexes termed mTORC1 and mTORC2. Glioblastoma (GBM) is a malignant and lethal brain tumor that remains incurable partly due to the existence of untreatable cancer stem cells (CSC). The pathogenesis of GBM is largely due to the loss of the tumor suppressor gene PTEN, which is implicated in the aberrant activation of the mTOR pathway. The major cause of tumor recurrence, growth, and invasion is the presence of a unique population of CSC. Resistance to conventional therapies appears to be caused by both extensive genetic abnormalities and dysregulation of the transcription landscape. Consequently, CSCs have emerged as targets of interest in new treatment paradigms. Evidence suggests that inhibition of the mTOR pathway can also be applied to target CSCs. In this study, we explored the role of the mTOR pathway in the regulation of stem cells of GBM. GBM stem cells were treated with various inhibitors of canonical PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways such as rapamycin (mTORC1 inhibitor), PP242 (ATP binding mTORC1/2 inhibitor), LY294002 (PI3K inhibitor), and MAPK inhibitor, U0126. We previously demonstrated the presence of CSC in the peritumor area of GBM. A significant number of GBM tumors expressed stem cell marker nestin and activated mTOR (pmTORSer2448), with most tumor cells co-expressing both markers. The expression of stem cell marker NANOG was suppressed following rapamycin treatment, while U0126 induced translocation of NANOG from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. The neurospheres were disrupted following rapamycin and LY294002 treatments. Rapamycin or PP242 treatments given with differentiating agent All-trans-retinoic acid reduced stem cell proliferation. Treatment with novel small molecule dual inhibitors of mTORC1/2 demonstrated that Torin1 and Torin2 suppressed the proliferation of GBM CSC, while XL388 was less effective. Torin1 and XL388 delay the process of self-renewal as compared to controls, whereas Torin2 halted the self-renewal of GBM CSC. Additionally, Torin2 was able to eradicate tumor cells. Torin2 effectively targeted CSCs of GBM by halting self-renewal and inhibiting cell proliferation, underscoring the use of Torin2 in the treatment of GBM. Citation Format: Olivia Gellerson, Julie Bree, Mohan Das, George Kleinman, Chirag Gandhi, Meena Jhanwar-Uniyal. mTOR regulates stem cells of glioblastoma by altering the self-renewal and proliferation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 5807.