Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors Type 3 and 5 Feature the “NeuroTransmitter-type” of Glioblastoma: A Bioinformatic Approach

Abstract

Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) represents an aggressive and common tumor of the central nervous system. The prognosis of GBM is poor, and despite a refined genetic and molecular characterization, pharmacological treatment is largely suboptimal. Objective: Contribute to defining a therapeutic line in GBM targeting the mGlu3 receptor in line with the principles of precision medicine. Methods: Here, we performed a computational analysis focused on the expression of type 3 and 5 metabotropic glutamate receptor subtypes (mGlu3 and mGlu5, respectively) in high- and low-grade gliomas. Results: The analysis allowed the identification of a particular high-grade glioma type, characterized by a high expression level of both receptor subtypes and by other markers of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission. This so-called neurotransmitter-GBM (NT-GBM) also shows a distinct immunological, metabolic, and vascularization gene signature. Conclusion: Our findings might lay the groundwork for a targeted therapy to be specifically applied to this putative novel type of GBM.