The Suppression of Medulloblastoma Cell Migration Using Clinically Significant Doses of Simvastatin through Mevalonate Pathway Targeting †
Life Science Department, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AX, UK
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
Presented at the 4th International Electronic Conference on Cancers, 6–8 March 2024; Available online: https://sciforum.net/event/IECC2024.
Proceedings 2024, 100(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2024100006
Published: 27 March 2024
Aims: Medulloblastoma (MBs), the most prevalent malignant paediatric brain tumour, exhibits distinct subgroups—Wingless (WNT), Sonic Hedgehog (SHH), Group 3 (G3), and Group 4 (G4)—and each is characterized by unique molecular signatures and clinical outcomes. Despite being the most aggressive, Group 3 (G3) and Group 4 (G4) remain the least understood. Current treatments, involving surgical resection, radiation, and chemotherapy, are associated with significant morbidity and adverse effects. This study aims to explore the potential of clinically significant doses of simvastatin, known for its ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier, as a targeted and less toxic therapy for aggressive MBs.
Method: In-silico gene expression analysis assessed mevalonate pathway (MVP) enzyme expression in MBs, corroborated by immunocytochemistry and RT-PCR in SHH, G3, and G4 cells. The anti-cancer and anti-metastatic properties of low doses of simvastatin were investigated through both 2D and 3D cell culture methods.
Results: Our findings reveal that clinically significant doses of simvastatin effectively reduce the migration of MBs cells in both 2D and 3D in vitro cultures.
Conclusions: This study establishes simvastatin as a promising therapeutic candidate for mitigating MBs cell invasion, offering a potential avenue for the development of novel and less invasive treatment strategies for MBs tumours.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization, C.C. and M.V.N.-C.; methodology, C.C. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
This work was funded by a grant from Little Princes Trust (LPT2023A22) and startup grant from University of Bath from M.V.N-C.
Institutional Review Board Statement
Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement
Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement
Not applicable.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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MDPI and ACS Style
Comer, C.; Niklison-Chirou, M.V. The Suppression of Medulloblastoma Cell Migration Using Clinically Significant Doses of Simvastatin through Mevalonate Pathway Targeting. Proceedings 2024, 100, 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2024100006
AMA Style
Comer C, Niklison-Chirou MV. The Suppression of Medulloblastoma Cell Migration Using Clinically Significant Doses of Simvastatin through Mevalonate Pathway Targeting. Proceedings. 2024; 100(1):6. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2024100006
Chicago/Turabian StyleComer, Charley, and Maria Victoria Niklison-Chirou. 2024. "The Suppression of Medulloblastoma Cell Migration Using Clinically Significant Doses of Simvastatin through Mevalonate Pathway Targeting" Proceedings 100, no. 1: 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2024100006
