# Targeting MACF1 in Glioblastoma

> **NIH NIH SC3** · TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $106,500

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The specificity of current chemo- and radiation therapy protocols used to treat clinical glioblastomas while
sparing normal cells and tissues has remained a caveat for therapeutic treatments of this disease. This issue
is compounded by the subtypes of glioblastoma with varying genetic profiles, making it necessary to identify
novel uncharacterized therapeutic targets in these cancers. The utility of a targeted therapy approach
therefore offers greater clinical benefit over standard clinical treatment modalities because of its selectivity
and specificity. A targeted therapy approach is particularly advantageous for the treatment of malignant brain
tumors as a means to circumvent the cellular and molecular heterogeneity of these tumors which contribute to
their high rates of recurrence and therapeutic resistance. Like most human cancers the invasive nature
and continued propagation of glioblastoma are governed by cytoskeletal proteins. The objective of this study
is to assess Microtubule Actin Cross-Linking Factor (MACF1), a cytoskeletal integrator protein, for its role in
glioblastoma. Evaluation of MACF1 as a therapeutic target in malignant brain tumors is based on preliminary
data from the proposed work that supports the hypothesis that MACF1 contributes to the maintenance and
progression of malignant brain tumors and will be addressed with two specific aims: 1) To ascertain MACF1 as
an inhibitory target and its tumorigenic role in glioblastoma and 2) To evaluate inhibitory targeting of MACF1 as
a chemosensitizer in glioblastoma. Genetic inhibitory and overexpression experiments will be used to assess
anti-tumorigenic targeting and tumorigenic properties of MACF1 in glioblastoma, while biomarker expression
analysis of MACF1 will be performed on various gliomas from patients. Further the effects of silencing MACF1
function will be evaluated as a sensitizer of the chemotherapeutic agent, temozolomide. The proposed
research is both innovative and significant because antagonizing MACF1 function provides a single target that
will impair properties of two distinct populations of proliferating and migratory invasive cells that contribute to
the perpetuation and recurrence of glioblastoma; as well as identify an uncharacterized target that expands
our approach to combating not only glioblastoma but other cancers that will be diagnosed in 1 out 2
persons during their lifetime.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9977206
- **Project number:** 5SC3GM121178-04
- **Recipient organization:** TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Quincy Antoine Quick
- **Activity code:** SC3 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $106,500
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-08-01 → 2021-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9977206

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9977206, Targeting MACF1 in Glioblastoma (5SC3GM121178-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9977206. Licensed CC0.

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