STEM-03. MOLECULAR PROFILING OF PRIMARY VERSUS RECURRENT GLIOBLASTOMA BRAIN TUMOR STEM CELLS UNCOVERS SIGNALING MECHANISMS THAT PROMOTE THE AGGRESSIVENESS OF RECURRENT GLIOBLASTOMA

Abstract Glioblastoma (GBM) is a devastating brain cancer with median overall survival of mere 12-15 months. Patients receive the standard care treatment, comprised maximum surgical resection, ionizing radiation, and temozolomide chemotherapy, however tumor inevitably recurs. Recurrent GBM more invasive, difficult to resect, treatment resistant. stem cells (BTSCs), sub-population stem-like ability self-renew differentiate into heterogeneous tumor, are thought be at root recurrent disease. BTSCs isolated from primary tumors same patient rare due fewer resections reduced quality samples used initiate cell lines. As result, process recurrence vastly understudied in BTSCs. To further understand elucidate potential mechanisms invasion resistance, we explored global transcriptomics 40 versus 17 BTSC cultures. Additionally, profiled changes chromatin level subset using ATAC sequencing. Several pathways were found upregulated BTSCs, including innate immune signaling mRNA level, which may mediate aggressive nature Moreover, these unique population within as they not observed when profiling bulk tumors. We currently targeting genetically pharmacologically established have uncovered for invasion, recurrence. Our work investigating holds promise uncovering new therapeutic targets or biomarkers GBM.