The purpose of this study was to evaluate in vivo, the effect of local administration by convection enhanced delivery (CED) of the anti-EGFR and anti-Galectin-1 siRNAs administered separately or in combination on (i) the survival of nude mice-bearing orthotopic U87MG glioblastoma cells and on (ii) the EGFR and Galectin-1 expression in excised U87MG tumor tissue.
Previous studies, along with the current one, have proven galectin-1 to be important in the migration and invasion of glioblastoma cells, in GBM neoangiogenesis, and also, potentially, in GBM immune privilege.
These results suggest that decreasing Gal-1 expression (e.g. through brain delivery of nonviral infusions of anti-Gal-1 siRNA in patients) can represent an additional therapeutic strategy for glioblastoma.
Proteomic investigation of glioblastoma cell lines treated with wild-type p53 and cytotoxic chemotherapy demonstrates an association between galectin-1 and p53 expression.
We conclude that the stable inhibition of galectin-1 expression alters the expression of a number of genes that either directly or indirectly influence adhesion, motility and invasion of human glioblastoma cells.
The immunohistochemical analysis of galectin-1 expression of human U87 and U373 glioblastoma xenografts from the brains of nude mice revealed a higher level of galectin-1 expression in invasive areas rather than non-invasive areas of the xenografts.
The 0.7-kb galectin-1 mRNA transcript was detected, and the expression level correlated with the malignant state, from low-grade astrocytoma to glioblastoma.