Hexosaminidase B-driven cancer cell-macrophage co-dependency promotes glycolysis addiction and tumorigenesis in glioblastoma
Chen Zhu, Xin Chen, Tianqi Liu, Lin Cheng, Wen Cheng, Peng Cheng, Anhua Wu
Abstract
Glycolytic metabolic reprogramming in cancer is regulated by both cancer intrinsic variations like isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) status and non-cancerous microenvironment components like tumor associated macrophages (TAMs). However, the detailed mechanism remains elusive. Here, we identify hexosaminidase B (HEXB) as a key regulator for glycolysis in glioblastoma (GBM). HEXB intercellularly manipulates TAMs to promote glycolysis in GBM cells, while intrinsically enhancing cancer cell glycolysis. Mechanistically, HEXB elevation augments tumor HIF1α protein stability through activating ITGB1/ILK/YAP1; Subsequently, HIF1α promotes HEXB and multiple glycolytic gene transcription in GBM cells. Genetic ablation and pharmacological inhibition of HEXB elicits substantial therapeutic effects in preclinical GBM models, while targeting HEXB doesn’t induce significant reduction in IDH1 mutant glioma and inhibiting IDH1 mutation-derived 2-hydroxyglutaric acid (2-HG) significantly restores HEXB expression in glioma cells. Our work highlights a HEXB driven TAMs-associated glycolysis-promoting network in GBM and provides clues for developing more effective therapies against it. Reprogrammed metabolism drives cancer progression and is modulated by both cancer intrinsic variations and non-malignant cell populations in the tumor microenvironment. Here, the authors show a Hexosaminidase B-mediating feedback mechanism facilitating cancer cell-macrophage interplay and remodeling glucose metabolism in glioblastoma.