An NF-κB- and Therapy-Related Regulatory Network in Glioma: A Potential Mechanism of Action for Natural Antiglioma Agents

High-grade gliomas are among the most aggressive malignancies, with significantly low median survival. Recent experimental research in the field has highlighted the importance of natural substances as possible antiglioma agents, also known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action. We have previously shown that natural substances target several surface cluster of differentiation (CD) markers in glioma cells, as part of their mechanism of action. We analyzed the genome-wide NF-κB binding sites residing in consensus regulatory elements, based on ENCODE data. We found that NF-κB binding sites reside adjacent to the promoter regions of genes encoding CD markers targeted by antiglioma agents (namely, CD15/FUT4, CD28, CD44, CD58, CD61/SELL, CD71/TFRC, and CD122/IL2RB). Network and pathway analysis revealed that the markers are associated with a core network of genes that, altogether, participate in processes that associate tumorigenesis with inflammation and immune evasion. Our results reveal a core regulatory network that can be targeted in glioblastoma, with apparent implications in individuals that suffer from this devastating malignancy.