Plasmatic membrane toll-like receptor expressions in human astrocytomas

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are the first to identify disturbances in the immune system, recognizing pathogens such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Since the inflammation process plays an important role in several diseases, TLRs have been considered potential therapeutic targets, including treatment for cancer. However, TLRs’ role in cancer remains ambiguous. This study aims to analyze the expression levels of plasmatic cell membrane TLRs (TLR1, TLR2, TLR4, TLR5, and TLR6) in human astrocytomas the most prevalent tumors of CNS different grades (II-IV). We demonstrated that TLR expressions were higher in astrocytoma samples compared to non-neoplastic brain tissue. The gene and protein expressions were observed in GBM cell lines U87MG and A172, proving their presence in the tumor cells. Associated expressions between the known heterodimers TLR1-TLR2 were found in all astrocytoma grades. In GBMs, the mesenchymal subtype showed higher levels of TLR expressions in relation to classical and proneural subtypes. A strong association of TLRs with the activation of cell cycle process and signaling through canonical, inflammasome and ripoptosome pathways was observed by in silico analysis, further highlighting TLRs as interesting targets for cancer treatment.