Abstract
The main challenge in the clinical management of pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) is its unpredictable growth behavior. PA cells are driven into oncogene-induced senescence (OIS) by aberrant MAPK activation. In other senescence models OIS was shown to be regulated and maintained by the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). In this study, the first patient-derived cell culture model DKFZ-BT66 was used to show presence of the SASP in PA and to analyze its impact on OIS. This model allows for shifting between proliferation and senescence via doxycycline-inducible inhibition of the OIS-relevant p53/RB pathway. Both states were studied using gene-expression profiling (GEP), Western blot, qPCR, ELISA, and automated trypan blue exclusion staining. The GEP shows significant upregulation of SASP factors during OIS in DKFZ-BT66 cells. Conditioned medium of senescent DKFZ-BT66 cells is sufficient to induce growth arrest of proliferating DKFZ-BT66 cells. Upregulation of the SASP factors IL-1B and IL-6 was validated on mRNA and protein levels and both pathways are active during OIS. Stimulation of the IL-1 pathway reduces growth of proliferating DKFZ-BT66 cells. While pharmacological inhibition of single cytokines is not sufficient to overcome growth arrest during OIS, treatment with the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone induces regrowth of senescent cells. Overall, the primary PA model provides evidence of the presence of OIS in PA and exhibits increased activity of the SASP during senescence. Our data suggest that the SASP has an important impact on the growth regulation of senescent PA cells. Alteration of SASP factors may result in spontaneous regrowth of senescent PA tumors.