Glutamatergic neuron-tumor synapses shape human glioblastoma cell states through radial glia plasticity

Abstract

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a devastating primary brain tumor with remarkable inter- and intra-tumoral heterogeneity. GBM cells assume a spectrum of neurodevelopmental-like phenotypes and co-opt normal neurophysiological processes, which include synaptic integration with their neuronal microenvironment. This is mediated by neuron-tumor synapses (NTS) that predominantly involve glutamatergic receptors, which drive calcium elevations that promote tumor proliferation and invasion. The exact relationship between synaptic signaling and tumor cell fate specification, however, remains largely unexplored. Here, we develop and leverage a synapse-optimized human organoid tumor transplantation (so-HOTT) model of GBM to decipher how glutamatergic signaling impacts GBM lineage trajectories. so-HOTT preserves patient tumor heterogeneity, features excitatory NTS, and enables clonal lineage tracing of tumor cells after NTS perturbations. Genetic and pharmacological inhibition of AMPA and kainate receptors in so-HOTT shifts tumor cell composition from neuronal fates toward progenitor-proximal astrocytic/mesenchymal states. This occurs through the attenuation of calcium signaling and reduced plasticity of malignant radial glia (RG)-like progenitors, a previously unrecognized target of NTS. Through the integration of inputs from the neuronal microenvironment into glutamatergic signaling, progenitor populations modulate their transcriptional programs and cell fate, ultimately shaping GBM tumor heterogeneity. Targeting synaptic input may thus constrain the heterogeneity that fuels GBM adaptation and therapeutic escape.