Research Information System
Molecular Biology Reports, vol.53, no.1, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Background: Neuroinflammation involves all central nervous system cells, activated by factors such as genetics, trauma, and age. The activation of microglia signals the onset of neuroinflammation, with these resident macrophages playing a crucial role in defense and repair. Tumor microenvironments, comprising non-cancer cells and structures within tumor tissue, actively influence angiogenesis, drug resistance, and tumor progression. Gliomas, especially glioblastoma, display aggressive traits, with neuroinflammation playing a key role in shaping the complex environment that fuels rapid proliferation, invasiveness, and other aggressive features inherent to these brain tumors. Fungi from extreme environments, such as the halotolerant Penicillium flavigenum isolated from Tuz Lake, possess biotechnological potential. Despite increasing interest in fungal-derived compounds, studies investigating sorbicillin water fraction in glioblastoma models, particularly under co-culture conditions with microglia, remain limited. Methods and results: Cytotoxicity and proliferation were evaluated in U87-MG and HMC3 cells using WST-1 and RTCA-DP. Apoptosis, inflammatory markers, and EMT-related proteins were analyzed by flow cytometry, and gene expression (IL-1β, TNF-α, Apaf-1, NF-κB, vimentin) by RT-PCR. Migration and invasion were assessed using RTCA-DP in mono- and co-culture systems. The sorbicillin water fraction induced significant antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic effects in U87-MG cells without cytotoxicity in HMC3 cells. It reduced migration and invasion, increased E-cadherin, decreased vimentin, and modulated IL-1β, TNF-α, and NF-κB expression, particularly under co-culture conditions. Conclusions: The sorbicillin water fraction exerts anticancer effects by inducing apoptosis, suppressing EMT, and modulating neuroinflammatory responses in glioma models, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic candidate targeting tumor–microenvironment interactions.