Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42443895›Full record

ArticleCancer cell international2026

CD133 structural instability as a gateway to medulloblastoma vulnerability.

Zaira Spinello, Martina Brunetti, Natalia Pediconi, Sofia Trocchianesi, Laura Giusti, Luana Abballe, Laura Masuelli, Roberto Bei, Evelina Miele, Agnese Po and 9 more

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In one paragraph

Article in Cancer cell international, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

19 authors.

Zaira SpinelloDepartment of Life, Health and Health Professions Sciences, Link Campus University, Rome, Italy.
Martina BrunettiDepartment of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Natalia PediconiDepartment of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Sofia TrocchianesiDepartment of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Laura GiustiDepartment of Pharmacy and Biotechnologies, FaBiT, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Luana AbballeDepartment of Onco-Hematology, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapies and Hemopoietic Transplant, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Laura MasuelliDepartment of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Roberto BeiDepartment of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy.
Evelina MieleDepartment of Onco-Hematology, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapies and Hemopoietic Transplant, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Agnese PoDepartment of Radiological Sciences, Oncology and Pathology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Anna CitarellaDepartment of Life, Health and Health Professions Sciences, Link Campus University, Rome, Italy.
Giacomo RuggieroDepartment of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Federica Di CintioDepartment of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, University G. D'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
Andrea RagusaDepartment of Life, Health and Health Professions Sciences, Link Campus University, Rome, Italy.
Angela MastronuzziDepartment of Onco-Hematology, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapies and Hemopoietic Transplant, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Franco LocatelliDepartment of Onco-Hematology, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapies and Hemopoietic Transplant, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Elisabetta FerrettiDepartment of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Maurizio RonciDepartment of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, University G. D'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy. maurizio.ronci@unich.it.
Giuseppina CatanzaroDepartment of Life, Health and Health Professions Sciences, Link Campus University, Rome, Italy. g.catanzaro@unilink.it.

Funding

Ministero della Salute Ricerca Finalizzata, Grant #GR-2018-12367328
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMedulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant paediatric brain tumor. Among distinct MB subtypes, Group 3 represents one of the most aggressive subtypes, with high relapse rate, frequent metastasis, and mortality. These malignant traits are largely driven by MB stem cells (MBSCs), a subpopulation with enhanced self-renewal capacity and resistance to standard therapies, making them prime targets for innovative treatment strategies.

methodsGroup 3 MB human cell lines were treated with 0.3 µM Brefeldin A (BFA), a potent inducer of endoplasmic reticulum stress. Proteomic analyses via nano-LC-MS/MS were employed to investigate structural alterations in CD133, a key cell surface and stemness-associated receptor. Finally, computational screening was performed to identify Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA)-approved compounds, with improved pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles that mimic BFA's mechanism of action.

resultsWe demonstrate that BFA induced structural disruption of CD133 and compromised MBSCs stem-like phenotype. This loss of stem-like properties correlates with diminished clonogenic potential, downregulation of the oncogenic PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling axis, and impaired intercellular communication. Importantly, we identified clinically approved compounds capable of recapitulating the biological effects associated with BFA treatment.

conclusionsThis study uncovers a previously unrecognized mechanism of CD133 structural modulation and highlights the existence of clinically approved compounds that may impair MBSC function, offering a promising possible avenue for targeting therapy-resistant tumor-initiating cells in aggressive Group 3 MB.

Indexed as

CD133Drug discoveryMedulloblastomaMedulloblastoma stem cellsNano-LC-MS/MS

Identifiers

PMID42443895
PMCPMC13644029

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.