Differential Gene Expression Analysis to Identify COLXI Dysregulation in Glioblastoma
Faculty Mentor Information
Dr. Jonathon Reeck, Boise State University
Presentation Date
7-16-2026
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is associated with widespread transcriptional alterations that contribute to tumor progression and remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM). As a major structural component of the ECM, collagens regulate tissue structure, cell adhesion, proliferation, signaling and tumor invasion, making them attractive as potential biomarkers of disease. Collagen 6 (COL6) has been widely implicated in glioblastoma progression and modification in the tumor microenvironment, whereas collagen 11 (COL11) has emerged as a potential biomarker in several other tumor types but its transcriptional dysregulation remains largely unexplored in GBM. The objective of this study was to evaluate collagen expression in GBM compared to normal brain tissue, with a focus on COL6 and COL11, through differential gene expression analysis (DGEA). Publicly available transcriptomic datasets were obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus and analyzed with Python using bioinformatic workflows. Differentially expressed collagen genes were identified and results were visualized with volcano plots, gene expression heatmaps, and ranked fold-change graphs. Preliminary analyses identified consistent dysregulation of COL6 and COL11-associated genes across datasets, supporting their potential roles in ECM remodeling.
Differential Gene Expression Analysis to Identify COLXI Dysregulation in Glioblastoma
Glioblastoma (GBM) is associated with widespread transcriptional alterations that contribute to tumor progression and remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM). As a major structural component of the ECM, collagens regulate tissue structure, cell adhesion, proliferation, signaling and tumor invasion, making them attractive as potential biomarkers of disease. Collagen 6 (COL6) has been widely implicated in glioblastoma progression and modification in the tumor microenvironment, whereas collagen 11 (COL11) has emerged as a potential biomarker in several other tumor types but its transcriptional dysregulation remains largely unexplored in GBM. The objective of this study was to evaluate collagen expression in GBM compared to normal brain tissue, with a focus on COL6 and COL11, through differential gene expression analysis (DGEA). Publicly available transcriptomic datasets were obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus and analyzed with Python using bioinformatic workflows. Differentially expressed collagen genes were identified and results were visualized with volcano plots, gene expression heatmaps, and ranked fold-change graphs. Preliminary analyses identified consistent dysregulation of COL6 and COL11-associated genes across datasets, supporting their potential roles in ECM remodeling.