Steroid-dependent metabolic rewiring reveals novel therapeutic and imaging approaches for glioblastoma.

ABSTRACT: Steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, such as dexamethasone, are routinely used to manage brain tumor-associated edema, yet their impact on brain tumor metabolism remains understudied. Here, a metabolomic screen in naïve glioblastoma cells treated with dexamethasone revealed the accumulation of N¹-methylnicotinamide, a nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) product, through glucocorticoid receptor activation. Using stable isotope-assisted metabolomics in patients with glioblastoma, we showed that nicotinamide conversion into N¹-methylnicotinamide exceeds that into NAD⁺, leading to a ~7-fold accumulation of N¹-methylnicotinamide in tumor compared to surrounding brain tissue. In orthotopic models, NNMT activity was enhanced

SUBMITTER: Allega MF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12829581 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature