Transcription Factor Id4, A Surrogate for Glioblastoma Survival

Neuro-oncology research team at Dartmouth's Norris Cotton Cancer Center, led by the Director Mark A. Israel, MD with first author Gilbert J. Rahme, PhD, recently identified the transcription factor Id4 as a suppressor of tumor cell invasion in glioblastoma. Their paper, "Id4 suppresses MMP2-mediated invasion of glioblastoma-derived cells by direct inactivation of Twist1 function," was recently published in Oncogene. A key finding was the mechanism by which Id4 silences matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2), determined to be inhibition of the protein Twist1 that is required for MMP2 expression.

"This finding suggests a novel therapeutic target to decrease invasion of tumor cells in patients and may also provide a novel biomarker that could help predict survival of patients with glioblastoma," explained Israel. Glioblastoma is the most lethal form of primary brain tumor and leads to death in patients by invading the brain tissue in a process that allows single cells to move through normal brain tissue, which makes complete surgical removal of the tumor impossible. Israel and his team sought to understand the mechanisms that drive tumor invasion of normal tissue in glioblastoma.

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