Governing with public engagement: an anticipatory approach to human genome editing.

In response to calls for public engagement on human genome editing (HGE), which intensified after the 2018 He Jiankui scandal that resulted in the implantation of genetically modified embryos, we detail an anticipatory approach to the governance of HGE. By soliciting multidisciplinary experts' input on the drivers and uncertainties of HGE development, we developed a set of plausible future scenarios to ascertain publics values-specifically, their hopes and concerns regarding the novel technology and its applications. In turn, we gathered a subset of multidisciplinary experts to propose governance recommendations for HGE that incorporate identified publics' values. These recommendations include: (1) continued participatory public engagement; (2) international harmonization and transparency of multiple governance levers such as professional and scientific societies, funders, and regulators; and (3) development of a formal whistleblower framework.

[For a good understanding and use of the term "organoids"]. / Pour une bonne compréhension et un bon usage du terme « organoïdes ¼.

Title: Pour une bonne compréhension et un bon usage du terme « organoïdes ¼. Abstract: Depuis une dizaine d'années, des progrès considérables ont été réalisés concernant les conditions qui permettent à des cellules de s'auto-organiser dans l'espace comme elles le font lors des phases précoces du développement embryonnaire ou dans certains tissus adultes. On nomme ainsi « organoïdes ¼ des structures en trois dimensions complexes, organisées et intégrant plusieurs types cellulaires, qui peuvent reproduire in vitro certaines fonctions d'un organe. Toutefois, ces organoïdes ne peuvent actuellement reproduire à l'identique une architecture anatomique et fonctionnelle complète. Bien qu'utilisé pour des raisons de simplification pour la communication, en particulier dans la presse généraliste, il est donc abusif d'utiliser le terme « mini-organes ¼ pour décrire ces structures.

CELF2 Sustains a Proliferating/OLIG2+ Glioblastoma Cell Phenotype via the Epigenetic Repression of SOX3.

Glioblastomas (GBs) are incurable brain tumors. The persistence of aggressive stem-like tumor cells after cytotoxic treatments compromises therapeutic efficacy, leading to GBM recurrence. Forcing the GBM cells to irreversibly abandon their aggressive stem-like phenotype may offer an alternative to conventional cytotoxic treatments. Here, we show that the RNA binding protein CELF2 is strongly expressed in mitotic and OLIG2-positive GBM cells, while it is downregulated in differentiated and non-mitotic cells by miR-199a-3p, exemplifying GBM intra-tumor heterogeneity. Using patient-derived cells and human GBM samples, we demonstrate that CELF2 plays a key role in maintaining the proliferative/OLIG2 cell phenotype with clonal and tumorigenic properties. Indeed, we show that CELF2 deficiency in patient-derived GSCs drastically reduced tumor growth in the brains of nude mice. We further show that CELF2 promotes TRIM28 and G9a expression, which drive a H3K9me3 epigenetic profile responsible for the silencing of the SOX3 gene. Thus, CELF2, which is positively correlated with OLIG2 and Ki67 expression in human GBM samples, is inversely correlated with SOX3 and miR-199a-3p. Accordingly, the invalidation of SOX3 in CELF2-deficient patient-derived cells rescued proliferation and OLIG2 expression. Finally, patients expressing SOX3 above the median level of expression tend to have a longer life expectancy. CELF2 is therefore a crucial target for the malignant potential of GBM and warrants attention when developing novel anticancer strategies.

Challenges in glioblastoma research: focus on the tumor microenvironment.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most deadly type of malignant brain tumor, despite extensive molecular analyses of GBM cells. In recent years, the tumor microenvironment (TME) has been recognized as an important player and therapeutic target in GBM. However, there is a need for a full and integrated understanding of the different cellular and molecular components involved in the GBM TME and their interactions for the development of more efficient therapies. In this review, we provide a comprehensive report of the GBM TME, which assembles the contributions of physicians and translational researchers working on brain tumor pathology and therapy in France. We propose a holistic view of the subject by delineating the specific features of the GBM TME at the cellular, molecular, and therapeutic levels.

Glioblastoma cell motility depends on enhanced oxidative stress coupled with mobilization of a sulfurtransferase.

Cell motility is critical for tumor malignancy. Metabolism being an obligatory step in shaping cell behavior, we looked for metabolic weaknesses shared by motile cells across the diverse genetic contexts of patients' glioblastoma. Computational analyses of single-cell transcriptomes from thirty patients' tumors isolated cells with high motile potential and highlighted their metabolic specificities. These cells were characterized by enhanced mitochondrial load and oxidative stress coupled with mobilization of the cysteine metabolism enzyme 3-Mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (MPST). Functional assays with patients' tumor-derived cells and -tissue organoids, and genetic and pharmacological manipulations confirmed that the cells depend on enhanced ROS production and MPST activity for their motility. MPST action involved protection of protein cysteine residues from damaging hyperoxidation. Its knockdown translated in reduced tumor burden, and a robust increase in mice survival. Starting from cell-by-cell analyses of the patients' tumors, our work unravels metabolic dependencies of cell malignancy maintained across heterogeneous genomic landscapes.

The HIF1α/JMY pathway promotes glioblastoma stem-like cell invasiveness after irradiation.

Human glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain tumor. A minor subpopulation of cancer cells, known as glioma stem-like cells (GSCs), are thought to play a major role in tumor relapse due to their stem cell-like properties, their high resistance to conventional treatments and their high invasion capacity. We show that ionizing radiation specifically enhances the motility and invasiveness of human GSCs through the stabilization and nuclear accumulation of the hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α), which in turn transcriptionally activates the Junction-mediating and regulatory protein (JMY). Finally, JMY accumulates in the cytoplasm where it stimulates GSC migration via its actin nucleation-promoting activity. Targeting JMY could thus open the way to the development of new therapeutic strategies to improve the efficacy of radiotherapy and prevent glioma recurrence.

ERK-Mediated Loss of miR-199a-3p and Induction of EGR1 Act as a "Toggle Switch" of GBM Cell Dedifferentiation into NANOG- and OCT4-Positive Cells.

There is great interest in understanding how the cancer stem cell population may be maintained in solid tumors. Here, we show that tumor cells exhibiting stem-like properties and expression of pluripotency markers NANOG and OCT4 can arise from original differentiated tumor cells freshly isolated from human glioblastomas (GBM) and that have never known any serum culture conditions. Induction of EGR1 by EGFR/ERK signaling promoted cell conversion from a less aggressive, more differentiated cellular state to a self-renewing and strongly tumorigenic state, expressing NANOG and OCT4. Expression of these pluripotency markers occurred before the cells re-entered the cell cycle, demonstrating their capacity to change and dedifferentiate without any cell divisions. In differentiated GBM cells, ERK-mediated repression of miR-199a-3p induced EGR1 protein expression and triggered dedifferentiation. Overall, this signaling pathway constitutes an ERK-mediated "toggle switch" that promotes pluripotency marker expression and stem-like features in GBM cells. SIGNIFICANCE: This study defines an ERK-mediated molecular mechanism of dedifferentiation of GBM cells into a stem-like state, expressing markers of pluripotency.See related commentary by Koncar and Agnihotri, p. 3195.

The flavonoid rutin and its aglycone quercetin modulate the microglia inflammatory profile improving antiglioma activity.

Microglia cells are the immune effector in the Central Nervous System (CNS). However, studies have showed that they contribute more to glioma progression than to its elimination. Rutin and its aglycone quercetin are flavonoids present in many fruits as well as plants and have been demonstrated to bear anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antitumor properties also to human glioblastoma cell lines. Previous studies also demonstrated that rutin, isolated from the Brazilian plant Dimorphandra mollis Bent., presents immunomodulatory effect on astrocytes and microglia. In this study, we investigate the antitumor and immunomodulatory properties of rutin and its aglycone quercetin on the viability of glioma cells alone and under direct and indirect interaction with microglia. Flavonoid treatment of rat C6 glioma cells induced inhibition of proliferation and migration, and also induced microglia chemotaxis that was associated to the up regulation of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and the down regulation of Interleukin 10 (IL-10) at protein and mRNA expression levels, regulation of mRNA expression for chemokines CCL2, CCL5 and CX3CL1, and Heparin Binding Growth Factor (HDGF), Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and Glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) growth factors. Treatment of human U251 and TG1 glioblastoma cells with both flavonoids also modulated negatively the expression of mRNA for IL-6 and IL-10 and positively the expression of mRNA for TNF characterizing changes to the immune regulatory profile. Treatment of microglia and C6 cells either in co-cultures or during indirect interaction, via conditioned media from glioma cells treated with flavonoids or via conditioned media from microglia treated with flavonoids reduced proliferation and migration of glioma cells. It also directed microglia towards an inflammatory profile with increased expression of mRNA for IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-18 and decreased expression of mRNA for nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2) and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), arginase and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß), as well as Insulin-like growth factor (IGF). Treatment of U251 cells with flavonoids also reduced tumorigenesis when the cells were xenotransplanted in rat brains, and directed microglia and also astrocytes in the microenvironment of tumor cell implantation as well as in the brain parenchyma to a not favorable molecular inflammatory profile to the glioma growth, as observed in cultures. Together these results demonstrate that the flavonoid rutin and its aglycone quercetin present antiglioma effects related to the property of modulating the microglial inflammatory profile and may be considered for molecular and preclinical studies as adjuvant molecules for treatment of gliomas.

Capture at the single cell level of metabolic modules distinguishing aggressive and indolent glioblastoma cells.

Glioblastoma cell ability to adapt their functioning to microenvironment changes is a source of the extensive intra-tumor heterogeneity characteristic of this devastating malignant brain tumor. A systemic view of the metabolic pathways underlying glioblastoma cell functioning states is lacking. We analyzed public single cell RNA-sequencing data from glioblastoma surgical resections, which offer the closest available view of tumor cell heterogeneity as encountered at the time of patients' diagnosis. Unsupervised analyses revealed that information dispersed throughout the cell transcript repertoires encoded the identity of each tumor and masked information related to cell functioning states. Data reduction based on an experimentally-defined signature of transcription factors overcame this hurdle. It allowed cell grouping according to their tumorigenic potential, regardless of their tumor of origin. The approach relevance was validated using independent datasets of glioblastoma cell and tissue transcriptomes, patient-derived cell lines and orthotopic xenografts. Overexpression of genes coding for amino acid and lipid metabolism enzymes involved in anti-oxidative, energetic and cell membrane processes characterized cells with high tumorigenic potential. Modeling of their expression network highlighted the very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid synthesis pathway at the core of the network. Expression of its most downstream enzymatic component, ELOVL2, was associated with worsened patient survival, and required for cell tumorigenic properties in vivo. Our results demonstrate the power of signature-driven analyses of single cell transcriptomes to obtain an integrated view of metabolic pathways at play within the heterogeneous cell landscape of patient tumors.

The oncolytic virus Delta-24-RGD elicits an antitumor effect in pediatric glioma and DIPG mouse models.

Pediatric high-grade glioma (pHGG) and diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs) are aggressive pediatric brain tumors in desperate need of a curative treatment. Oncolytic virotherapy is emerging as a solid therapeutic approach. Delta-24-RGD is a replication competent adenovirus engineered to replicate in tumor cells with an aberrant RB pathway. This virus has proven to be safe and effective in adult gliomas. Here we report that the administration of Delta-24-RGD is safe in mice and results in a significant increase in survival in immunodeficient and immunocompetent models of pHGG and DIPGs. Our results show that the Delta-24-RGD antiglioma effect is mediated by the oncolytic effect and the immune response elicited against the tumor. Altogether, our data highlight the potential of this virus as treatment for patients with these tumors. Of clinical significance, these data have led to the start of a phase I/II clinical trial at our institution for newly diagnosed DIPG (NCT03178032).