Interleukin-11/IL-11 Receptor Promotes Glioblastoma Cell Proliferation, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, and Invasion

Glioblastoma is highly proliferative and invasive. However, the regulatory cytokine networks that promote glioblastoma cell proliferation and invasion into other areas of the brain are not fully defined. In the present study, we define a critical role for the IL-11/IL-11R alpha signalling axis in glioblastoma proliferation, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and invasion. We identified enhanced IL-11/IL-11R alpha expression correlated with reduced overall survival in glioblastoma patients using TCGA datasets. Proteomic analysis of glioblastoma cell lines overexpressing IL-11R alpha displayed a proteome that favoured enhanced proliferation and invasion. These cells also displayed greater proliferation and migration, while the knockdown of IL-11R alpha reversed these tumourigenic characteristics. In addition, these IL-11R alpha overexpressing cells displayed enhanced invasion in transwell invasion assays and in 3D spheroid invasion assays, while knockdown of IL-11R alpha resulted in reduced invasion. Furthermore, IL-11R alpha-overexpressing cells displayed a more mesenchymal-like phenotype compared to parental cells and expressed greater levels of the mesenchymal marker Vimentin. Overall, our study identified that the IL-11/IL-11R alpha pathway promotes glioblastoma cell proliferation, EMT, and invasion.