mRNA-sequencing of U87 glioblastoma and DAOY medulloblastoma spheroidal aggregates undergoing electrotaxis

Treatment of neuroepithelial cancers remains a daunting clinical challenge, particularly due to an inability to address rampant invasion deep into eloquent regions of the brain. Given the lack of access, and the dispersed nature of brain tumor cells, we explore the possibility of electric fields inducing directed tumor cell migration. In this study we investigate the properties of populations of brain cancer undergoing electrotaxis, a phenomenon whereby cells are directed to migrate under control of an electrical field. We investigate two cell lines for glioblastoma and medulloblastoma (U87mg & DAOY, respectively), plated as spheroidal aggregates in matrigel-filled electrotaxis channels, and report opposing electrotactic responses. To further understand electrotactic migration of tumor cells, we performed RNA-sequencing for pathway discovery to identify signaling that is differentially affected by the exposure of direct-current electrical fields. Overall design: U87 glioblastoma and DAOY medulloblastoma cells were plated as spheroidal aggregates and exposed to continuous direct-current electrical fields (250 V/m for 0, 2, or 8h, n=3) to measure their propensity to electrotax. Cell lysates from these experiments were collected for performing RNA-SEQ and differential transcript expression.