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Lineage Specification in Glioblastoma is Regulated by METTL7B

Abstract

Glioblastomas are the most common malignant brain tumors in adults; they are highly aggressive and heterogeneous and show a high degree of plasticity. Here, we show that methyltransferase-like 7B (METTL7B) is an essential regulator of lineage specification in glioblastoma, with an impact on both tumor size and invasiveness. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis of these tumors and of cerebral organoids derived from expanded potential stem cells overexpressing METTL7B reveal a regulatory role for the gene in the neural stem cell-to-astrocyte differentiation trajectory. Mechanistically, METTL7B downregulates the expression of key neuronal differentiation players, including SALL2, via post-translational modifications of histone marks.

Citing Articles

Advancing Glioblastoma Research with Innovative Brain Organoid-Based Models.

Correia C, Calado S, Matos A, Esteves F, De Sousa-Coelho A, Campinho M Cells. 2025; 14(4).

PMID: 39996764 PMC: 11854129. DOI: 10.3390/cells14040292.

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