Bergstrom, T. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2026

Identification of an epigenetically and phenotypically distinct peritumoral glioblastoma cell population linked to inferior patient outcome

Glioblastoma (GB) is an aggressive and therapy-resistant primary brain tumor with dismal prognosis. Lethality is in most patients caused by a local peritumoral (Edge) relapse near the resection cavity. This region is insufficiently studied and experimental models are scarce. We have analyzed matched tissue samples and cell cultures from bulk tumors and Edge regions of 11 GB patients. Genomic profiling displayed similar genetic alterations and subclonal distributions of matched bulk and Edge regions. Functional, phenotypic and combined single nucleus (sn) RNA-seq and ATAC-seq analyses showed distinct differences between bulk and Edge GB cells with similar shifts across patients. Sn multiomics uncovered a subset of Edge cells defined by unique chromatin accessibility signatures and elevated mesenchymal and immune gene expression. Integrated computational and functional investigations converged on microglia-derived Oncostatin-M as a driver of the Edge-unique phenotype, and high expression of Edge-related signatures correlated with inferior patient outcome in independent GB cohorts.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Pixatimod (PG545), a clinical-stage heparan sulfate mimetic, is a potent inhibitor of the SARS-CoV-2 virus

Heparan sulfate (HS) is a cell surface polysaccharide recently identified as a co-receptor with the ACE2 protein for recognition of the S1 spike protein on SARS-CoV-2 virus, providing a tractable new target for therapeutic intervention. Clinically-used heparins demonstrate inhibitory activity, but world supplies are limited, necessitating alternative solutions. Synthetic HS mimetic pixatimod is a drug candidate for cancer with immunomodulatory and heparanase-inhibiting properties. Here we show that pixatimod binds to and destabilizes the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain (S1-RBD), and directly inhibits its binding to human ACE2, consistent with molecular modelling identification of multiple molecular contacts and overlapping pixatimod and ACE2 binding sites. Assays with multiple clinical isolates of live SARS-CoV-2 virus show that pixatimod potently inhibits infection of monkey Vero E6 and human bronchial epithelial cells at concentrations within its safe therapeutic dose range. Furthermore, in a K18-hACE2 mouse model pixatimod demonstrates that pixatimod markedly attenuates SARS-CoV-2 viral titer and COVID-19-like symptoms. This demonstration of potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity establishes proof-of-concept for targeting the HS-Spike protein-ACE2 axis with synthetic HS mimetics. Together with other known activities of pixatimod our data provides a strong rationale for its clinical investigation as a potential multimodal therapeutic to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

microbiology↗