FOLR1 Regulates the Malignant Progression of Glioblastoma through the SRC/ERK1/2 Axis.

Background: GBM is an aggressive brain tumor with limited treatment options. Prior research has indicated FOLR1 as a pivotal gene involved in cancer pathogenesis.

Aim: This study aimed to explore the involvement of folate receptor alpha (FOLR1) in glioblastoma (GBM) and evaluate its potential as a therapeutic target.

Objective: This study investigated the expression pattern of FOLR1 in GBM, its impact on patient prognosis, and its role in GBM cell growth and the SRC/ERK1/2 signaling axis.

Methods: Initially, we conducted an expression analysis of FOLR1 based on public databases and examined its expression pattern in GBM and its impact on patient prognosis. Subsequently, cell experiments were carried out to evaluate the regulation of GBM cells by differential FOLR1 expression. We then downloaded 100 FOLR1 co-expressed genes from the Linkedomics data repository and performed an enrichment analysis. Finally, the role of FOLR1 and SRC/ERK1/2 axis in GBM was analyzed again by cell experiments.

Results: FOLR1 was found to be substantially expressed in GBM patients and was linked to a poor prognosis. Cell experiments showed that overexpression of FOLR1 promoted GBM cell growth, while low expression of FOLR1 inhibited cell growth. Additionally, genes related to FOLR1 were enriched in the lysosome, toxoplasmosis, and other pathways. This study further indicated that FOLR1 facilitates the activation of the SRC/ERK1/2 signaling pathway in GBM cells, and the attenuation of these pathways can effectively impede the malignancy-promoting effects triggered by FOLR1 in GBM cells.

Conclusions: We revealed that FOLR1 orchestrates the malignant advancement of GBM by stimulating the SRC/ERK1/2 signaling axis, underscoring its pivotal role in the pathogenesis of GBM.