Intrinsic properties of tumour cells have a key impact on the bystander effect mediated by genetically engineered mesenchymal stromal cells

Current progress in engineered and nano-engineered mesenchymal stem cells for cancer: From mechanisms to therapy

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), as self-renewing multipotent stromal cells, have been considered promising agents for cancer treatment. A large number of studies have demonstrated the valuable properties of MSC-based treatment, such as low immunogenicity and intrinsic tumor-trophic migratory properties. To enhance the potency of MSCs for therapeutic purposes, equipping MSCs with targeted delivery functions using genetic engineering is highly beneficial. Genetically engineered MSCs can express tumor suppressor agents such as pro-apoptotic, anti-proliferative, anti-angiogenic factors and act as ideal delivery vehicles. MSCs can also be loaded with nanoparticle drugs for increased efficacy and externally moderated targeting. Moreover, exosomes secreted by MSCs have important physiological properties, so they can contribute to intercellular communication and transfer cargo into targeted tumor cells. The precise role of genetically modified MSCs in tumor environments is still up for debate, but the beginning of clinical trials has been confirmed by promising results from preclinical investigations of MSC-based gene therapy for a wide range of malignancies. This review highlights the advanced techniques of engineering/nano-engineering and MSC-derived exosomes in tumor-targeted therapy.

Development of LC-HRMS methods for evaluation of metabolic conversion of 5-fluorocytosine at GDEPT procedure

Gene-directed enzyme/prodrug therapy represents one of the experimental treatment approaches. The system based on conversion of nontoxic prodrug 5-fluorocytosine to chemotherapeutic 5-fluorouracil by cytosine deaminase or fusion cytosine deaminase::uracil phosphoribosyl transferase belongs to the most frequently used. The detailed analysis of 5-fluorocytosine, 5-fluorouracil and its metabolites enables to understand various responses of tumour cells to treatment as well as mechanisms of resistance. A fast, sensitive and accurate methods based on liquid chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) for the identification and quantification of 5-fluorocytosine, 5-fluorouracil and its major metabolites were developed. Two different hybrid high-resolution mass spectrometers sufficient for study of metabolic pathways were used. The LC-ESI IT-TOF MS method was successfully used for identification of 5-fluorocytosine, 5-fluorouracil and its metabolites in complex biological matrices (mesenchymal stromal cells and tumour cells media) and for confirmation of the metabolic conversion of 5-fluorocytosine even in chemoresistant tumour cells media samples. For quantification, the LC-HESI QExactive MS method was developed and validated. The developed method demonstrated a very good linear range for 5-fluorocytosine from 1 ng/mL to 1000 ng/mL and for its major metabolites from 5 ng/mL to 1000 ng/mL. The limits of detection and limits of quantification ranged from 1.1 to 26 ng/mL and from 3.6 to 87 ng/mL, respectively. Both developed methods confirmed the ability of gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy to metabolically convert 5-fluorocytosine to 5-fluorouracil and its major metabolites in real samples of tumour cell media and mesenchymal stromal cells.

Cell therapies in the clinic

Cell therapies have emerged as a promising therapeutic modality with the potential to treat and even cure a diverse array of diseases. Cell therapies offer unique clinical and therapeutic advantages over conventional small molecules and the growing number of biologics. Particularly, living cells can simultaneously and dynamically perform complex biological functions in ways that conventional drugs cannot; cell therapies have expanded the spectrum of available therapeutic options to include key cellular functions and processes. As such, cell therapies are currently one of the most investigated therapeutic modalities in both preclinical and clinical settings, with many products having been approved and many more under active clinical investigation. Here, we highlight the diversity and key advantages of cell therapies and discuss their current clinical advances. In particular, we review 28 globally approved cell therapy products and their clinical use. We also analyze >1700 current active clinical trials of cell therapies, with an emphasis on discussing their therapeutic applications. Finally, we critically discuss the major biological, manufacturing, and regulatory challenges associated with the clinical translation of cell therapies.

Conditioned Medium From Azurin-Expressing Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Demonstrates Antitumor Activity Against Breast and Lung Cancer Cell Lines

Recently, cell-based therapies have been explored as a strategy to enhance the specificity of anticancer therapeutic agents. In this perspective, human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) hold a promising future as cell delivery systems for anticancer proteins due to their unique biological features. In this study, we engineered human MSC to secrete a human codon-optimized version of azurin (hazu), a bacterial protein that has demonstrated anticancer activity toward different cancer models both in vitro and in vivo. To this end, microporation was used to deliver plasmid DNA encoding azurin into MSC derived from bone marrow (BM) and umbilical cord matrix (UCM), leading to expression and secretion of hazu to the conditioned medium (CM). Engineered hazu-MSC were shown to preserve tumor tropism toward breast (MCF-7) and lung (A549) cancer cell lines, comparable to non-modified MSC. Azurin was detected in the CM of transfected MSC and, upon treatment with hazu-MSC-CM, we observed a decrease in cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and an increase in cell death for both cancer cell lines. Moreover, expression of azurin caused no changes in MSC expression profile of cytokines relevant in the context of cancer progression, thus suggesting that the antitumoral effects induced by hazu-MSC secretome might be due to the presence of azurin independently. In conclusion, data shown herein indicate that MSC-produced azurin in a CM configuration elicits an anticancer effect.

Shattering barriers toward clinically meaningful MSC therapies

More than 1050 clinical trials are registered at FDA.gov that explore multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) for nearly every clinical application imaginable, including neurodegenerative and cardiac disorders, perianal fistulas, graft-versus-host disease, COVID-19, and cancer. Several companies have or are in the process of commercializing MSC-based therapies. However, most of the clinical-stage MSC therapies have been unable to meet primary efficacy end points. The innate therapeutic functions of MSCs administered to humans are not as robust as demonstrated in preclinical studies, and in general, the translation of cell-based therapy is impaired by a myriad of steps that introduce heterogeneity. In this review, we discuss the major clinical challenges with MSC therapies, the details of these challenges, and the potential bioengineering approaches that leverage the unique biology of MSCs to overcome the challenges and achieve more potent and versatile therapies.

Mesenchymal stem cells in preclinical cancer cytotherapy: a systematic review

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) comprise a heterogeneous population of rapidly proliferating cells that can be isolated from adult (e.g., bone marrow, adipose tissue) as well as fetal (e.g., umbilical cord) tissues (termed bone marrow (BM)-, adipose tissue (AT)-, and umbilical cord (UC)-MSC, respectively) and are capable of differentiation into a wide range of non-hematopoietic cell types. An additional, unique attribute of MSC is their ability to home to tumor sites and to interact with the local supportive microenvironment which rapidly conceptualized into MSC-based experimental cancer cytotherapy at the turn of the century. Towards this purpose, both naïve (unmodified) and genetically modified MSC (GM-MSC; used as delivery vehicles for the controlled expression and release of antitumorigenic molecules) have been employed using well-established in vitro and in vivo cancer models, albeit with variable success. The first approach is hampered by contradictory findings regarding the effects of naïve MSC of different origins on tumor growth and metastasis, largely attributed to inherent biological heterogeneity of MSC as well as experimental discrepancies. In the second case, although the anti-cancer effect of GM-MSC is markedly improved over that of naïve cells, it is yet apparent that some protocols are more efficient against some types of cancer than others. Regardless, in order to maximize therapeutic consistency and efficacy, a deeper understanding of the complex interaction between MSC and the tumor microenvironment is required, as well as examination of the role of key experimental parameters in shaping the final cytotherapy outcome. This systematic review represents, to the best of our knowledge, the first thorough evaluation of the impact of experimental anti-cancer therapies based on MSC of human origin (with special focus on human BM-/AT-/UC-MSC). Importantly, we dissect the commonalities and differences as well as address the shortcomings of work accumulated over the last two decades and discuss how this information can serve as a guide map for optimal experimental design implementation ultimately aiding the effective transition into clinical trials.

ALDH1A3 upregulation and spontaneous metastasis formation is associated with acquired chemoresistance in colorectal cancer cells

Background

Efficiency of colorectal carcinoma treatment by chemotherapy is diminished as the resistance develops over time in patients. The same holds true for 5-fluorouracil, the drug used in first line chemotherapy of colorectal carcinoma.

Methods

Chemoresistant derivative of HT-29 cells was prepared by long-term culturing in increasing concentration of 5-fluorouracil. Cells were characterized by viability assays, flow cytometry, gene expression arrays and kinetic imaging. Immunomagnetic separation was used for isolation of subpopulations positive for cancer stem cells-related surface markers. Aldehyde dehydrogenase expression was attenuated by siRNA. In vivo studies were performed on SCID/bg mice.

Results

The prepared chemoresistant cell line labeled as HT-29/EGFP/FUR is assigned with different morphology, decreased proliferation rate and 135-fold increased IC₅₀ value for 5-fluorouracil in comparison to parental counterparts HT-29/EGFP. The capability of chemoresistant cells to form tumor xenografts, when injected subcutaneously into SCID/bg mice, was strongly compromised, however, they formed distant metastases in mouse lungs spontaneously. Derived cells preserved their resistance in vitro and in vivo even without the 5-fluorouracil selection pressure. More importantly, they were resistant to cisplatin, oxaliplatin and cyclophosphamide exhibiting high cross-resistance along with alterations in expression of cancer-stem cell markers such as CD133, CD166, CD24, CD26, CXCR4, CD271 and CD274. We also detected increased aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity associated with overexpression of specific ALDH isoform 1A3. Its inhibition by siRNA approach partially sensitized cells to various agents, thus linking for the first time the ALDH1A3 and chemoresistance in colorectal cancer.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated that acquired chemoresistance goes along with metastatic and migratory phenotype and can be accompanied with increased activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase. We describe here the valuable model to study molecular link between resistance to chemotherapy and metastatic dissemination.

ALDH1A inhibition sensitizes colon cancer cells to chemotherapy

Background

Recent evidence in cancer research, developed the notion that malignant tumors consist of different subpopulations of cells, one of them, known as cancer stem cells, being attributed many important properties such as enhanced tumorigenicity, proliferation potential and profound multidrug resistance to chemotherapy. Several key stem cells markers were identified in colon cancer. In our study we focused on the aldehyde dehydrogenase type 1 (ALDH1) expression in colon cancer-derived cell lines HT-29/eGFP, HCT-116/eGFP and LS-180/eGFP, and its role in the chemoresistance and tumorigenic potential.

Methods

The effect of pharmacological inhibition of ALDH activity by diethylaminobenzaldehyde (DEAB) and also effect of molecular inhibition by specific siRNA was evaluated in vitro in cultures of human colorectal cell lines. The expression level of different isoenzymes of aldehyde dehydrogenase was determined using qPCR. Changes in cell biology were evaluated by expression analysis, western blot and apoptosis assay. The efficiency of cytotoxic treatment in the presence of different chemotherapeutic drugs was analyzed by fluorimetric assay. Tumorigenicity of cells with specific ALDH1A1 siRNA was tested in xenograft model in vivo.

Results

Treatment by DEAB partially sensitized the tested cell lines to chemotherapeutics. Subsequently the molecular inhibition of specific isoforms of ALDH by ALDH1A1 or ALDH1A3 siRNA led to sensitizing of cell lines HT-29/eGFP, HCT-116/eGFP to capecitabine and 5-FU. On the model of athymic mice we observed the effect of molecular inhibition of ALDH1A1 in HT-29/eGFP cells by siRNA. We observed inhibition of proliferation of subcutaneous xenografts in comparison to control cells.

Conclusion

This research, verifies the significance of the ALDH1A isoforms in multidrug resistance of human colorectal cancer cells and its potential as a cancer stem cell marker. This provides the basis for the development of new approaches regarding the treatment of patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma and potentially the treatment of other tumor malignancies.

Cell-mediated enzyme prodrug cancer therapies

Cell-directed gene therapy is a promising new frontier for the field of targeted cancer therapies. Here we discuss the current pre-clinical and clinical use of cell-mediated enzyme prodrug therapy (EPT) directed against solid tumors and avenues for further development. We also discuss some of the challenges encountered upon translating these therapies to clinical trials. Upon sufficient development, cell-mediated enzyme prodrug therapy has the potential to maximize the distribution of therapeutic enzymes within the tumor environment, localizing conversion of prodrug to active drug at the tumor sites thereby decreasing off-target toxicities. New combinatorial possibilities are also promising. For example, when combined with viral gene-delivery vehicles, this may result in new hybrid vehicles that attain heretofore unmatched levels of therapeutic gene expression within the tumor.

Targeted antitumor therapy mediated by prodrug-activating mesenchymal stromal cells

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) were introduced as tumor-targeted vehicles suitable for delivery of the gene-directed enzyme/prodrug therapy more than 10 years ago. Over these years key properties of tumor cells and MSCs, which are crucial for the treatment efficiency, were examined; and there are some critical issues to be considered for the maximum antitumor effect. Moreover, engineered MSCs expressing enzymes capable of activating non-toxic prodrugs achieved long-term curative effect even in metastatic and hard-to-treat tumor types in pre-clinical scenario(s). These gene-modified MSCs are termed prodrug-activating MSCs throughout the text and represent promising approach for further clinical application. This review summarizes major determinants to be considered for the application of the prodrug-activating MSCs in antitumor therapy in order to maximize therapeutic efficiency.

Metabolism, Biochemical Actions, and Chemical Synthesis of Anticancer Nucleosides, Nucleotides, and Base Analogs

Nucleoside, nucleotide, and base analogs have been in the clinic for decades to treat both viral pathogens and neoplasms. More than 20% of patients on anticancer chemotherapy have been treated with one or more of these analogs. This review focuses on the chemical synthesis and biology of anticancer nucleoside, nucleotide, and base analogs that are FDA-approved and in clinical development since 2000. We highlight the cellular biology and clinical biology of analogs, drug resistance mechanisms, and compound specificity towards different cancer types. Furthermore, we explore analog syntheses as well as improved and scale-up syntheses. We conclude with a discussion on what might lie ahead for medicinal chemists, biologists, and physicians as they try to improve analog efficacy through prodrug strategies and drug combinations.

Engineered Mesenchymal Stem Cells as an Anti-Cancer Trojan Horse

Cell-based gene therapy holds a great promise for the treatment of human malignancy. Among different cells, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are emerging as valuable anti-cancer agents that have the potential to be used to treat a number of different cancer types. They have inherent migratory properties, which allow them to serve as vehicles for delivering effective therapy to isolated tumors and metastases. MSCs have been engineered to express anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, and anti-angiogenic agents that specifically target different cancers. Another field of interest is to modify MSCs with the cytokines that activate pro-tumorigenic immunity or to use them as carriers for the traditional chemical compounds that possess the properties of anti-cancer drugs. Although there is still controversy about the exact function of MSCs in the tumor settings, the encouraging results from the preclinical studies of MSC-based gene therapy for a large number of tumors support the initiation of clinical trials.

Metastatic Ovarian Cancer Can Be Efficiently Treated by Genetically Modified Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Due to late diagnosis, often recurrence, formation of metastases and resistance to commonly used chemotherapeutics human ovarian carcinoma represents a serious disease with high mortality. Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (AT-MSC) can serve as vehicles for therapeutic genes and we engineered AT-MSC to express either Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSVtk-MSC), which phosphorylates ganciclovir (GCV) to its toxic metabolites or yeast fused cytosine deaminase::uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (CD::UPRT-MSC), which converts 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) to highly toxic 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Here, we reported different responses of cytotoxicity mediated by CD::UPRT-MSC/5-FC treatment on human ovarian carcinoma cell lines-SKOV-3 and A2780 used in adherent or three-dimensional (3D) cell culture and we proved high potential of 3D model to predict results in our in vivo experiments. Both tumor cell lines showed similarly high chemosensitivity to the used treatment in adherent culture, but 3D model revealed severe discrepancy-only 36% of SKOV-3 cells but even 90% of A2780 cells were eliminated. This result served as a prognostic marker-we were able to achieve significantly decreased tumor volumes of subcutaneous xenografts of A2780 cells in nude mice and we prolonged tumor-free survival in 33% of animals bearing highly metastatic ovarian carcinoma after CD::UPRT-MSC/5-FC treatment.

Harnessing mesenchymal stem cell homing as an anticancer therapy

INTRODUCTION

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are non-hematopoietic progenitor cells that have been exploited as vehicles for cell-based cancer therapy. The general approach is based on the innate potential of adoptively applied MSC to undergo facilitated recruitment to malignant tissue. MSC from different tissue sources have been engineered using a variety of therapy genes that have shown efficacy in solid tumor models.

AREAS COVERED

In this review we will focus on the current developments of MSC-based gene therapy, in particular the diverse approaches that have been used for MSCs-targeted tumor therapy. We also discuss some outstanding issues and general prospects for their clinical application.

EXPERT OPINION

The use of modified mesenchymal stem cells as therapy vehicles for the treatment of solid tumors has progressed to the first generation of clinical trials, but the general field is still in its infancy. There are many questions that need to be addressed if this very complex therapy approach is widely applied in clinical settings. More must be understood about the mechanisms underlying tumor tropism and we need to identify the optimal source of the cells used. Outstanding issues also include the therapy transgenes used, and which tumor types represent viable targets for this therapy.

Combined enzyme/prodrug treatment by genetically engineered AT-MSC exerts synergy and inhibits growth of MDA-MB-231 induced lung metastases

Background

Metastatic spread of tumor cells remains a serious problem in cancer treatment. Gene-directed enzyme/prodrug therapy mediated by tumor-homing genetically engineered mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) represents a promising therapeutic modality for elimination of disseminated cells. Efficacy of gene-directed enzyme/prodrug therapy can be improved by combination of individual systems. We aimed to define the combination effect of two systems of gene therapy mediated by MSC, and evaluate the ability of systemically administered genetically engineered mesenchymal stromal cells to inhibit the growth of experimental metastases derived from human breast adenocarcinoma cells MDA-MB-231/EGFP.

Methods

Human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (AT-MSC) were retrovirally transduced with fusion yeast cytosine deaminase::uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (CD::UPRT) or with Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSVtk). Engineered MSC were cocultured with tumor cells in the presence of prodrugs 5-fluorocytosin (5-FC) and ganciclovir (GCV). Combination effect of these enzyme/prodrug approaches was calculated. SCID/bg mice bearing experimental lung metastases were treated with CD::UPRT-MSC, HSVtk-MSC or both in combination in the presence of respective prodrug(s). Treatment efficiency was evaluated by EGFP-positive cell detection by flow cytometry combined with real-time PCR quantification of human cells in mouse organs. Results were confirmed by histological and immunohistochemical examination.

Results

We demonstrated various extent of synergy depending on tested cell line and experimental setup. The strongest synergism was observed on breast cancer-derived cell line MDA-MB-231/EGFP. Systemic administration of CD::UPRT-MSC and HSVtk-MSC in combination with 5-FC and GCV inhibited growth of MDA-MB-231 induced lung metastases.

Conclusions

Combined gene-directed enzyme/prodrug therapy mediated by MSC exerted synergic cytotoxic effect and resulted in high therapeutic efficacy in vivo.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13046-015-0149-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Long-term efficiency of mesenchymal stromal cell-mediated CD-MSC/5FC therapy in human melanoma xenograft model

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) can be exploited as cellular delivery vehicles for the enzymes converting non-toxic prodrugs to toxic substances. Because of their inherent chemoresistance, they exert potent bystander and antitumor effect. Here we show that the human adipose tissue-derived MSC expressing fusion yeast cytosine deaminase::uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (CD-MSC) in combination with 5-fluorocytosine (5FC) mediated a long-term tumor-free survival in the 83.3% of tumor-bearing animals. CD-MSC/5FC treatment induced cytotoxicity against model human melanoma cells EGFP-A375. Only 4% of the therapeutic CD-MSC cells eliminated >98.5% of the tumor cells in vitro. Long-term tumor-free survival was confirmed in 15 out of the 18 animals. However, repeatedly used CD-MSC/5FC therapeutic regimen generated more aggressive and metastatic variant of the melanoma cells EGFP-A375/Rel3. These cells derived from the refractory xenotransplants exhibited increased resistance to the CD-MSC/5FC treatment, altered cell adhesion, migration, tumorigenic and metastatic properties. However, long-term curative effect was achieved by the augmentation of the CD-MSC/5FC regimen along with the inhibition of c-Met/hepatocyte growth factor signaling axis in this aggressive melanoma derivative. In summary, the CD-MSC/5FC regimen can be regarded as a very effective antitumor approach to achieve long-term tumor-free survival as demonstrated on a mouse model of aggressive human melanoma xenografts.

Adult adipose-derived stem cells and breast cancer: a controversial relationship

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and autologous fat grafting is an important clinical application in treatment of post-surgical deformities. The simplicity of fat grafting procedures and the absence of subsequent visible scar prompted an increasing interest for this technique. The plasticity of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) obtained from stromal vascular fraction (SVF) of adult adipose tissue provided exciting perspectives for regenerative medicine and surgery. The recent discovery that SVF/ASC enrichment further ameliorates clinical efficacy of grafting ASCs suggest as ASC-mediated new adipogenesis and vasculogenesis. ASC adipogenic differentiation involves Akt activity and EGFRs, FGFRs, ERbB2 receptor-mediated pathways that also play a pivotal role in the regulation of breast cancer growth. Moreover, the finding that platelet-derived growth factors and hormones improved long-term maintenance of fat grafting raises new concerns for their use during breast reconstruction after cancer surgery. However, it remains unclear whether grafted or resident ASCs may increase the risk of de novo cancer development or recurrence. Preliminary follow-up studies seem to support the efficacy and safety of SVF/ASCs enrichment and the additional benefit from the combined use of autologous platelet-derived growth factors and hormones during breast reconstruction procedures. In the present review we highlighted the complex interplay between resident or grafted ASCs, mature adipocytes, dormant or active breast cancer cells and tumor microenvironment. Actually, data concerning the permissive role of ASCs on breast cancer progression are contrasting, although no clear evidence speaking against their use exists.

In vivo 5FU-exposed human medullary thyroid carcinoma cells contain a chemoresistant CD133+ tumor-initiating cell subset

BACKGROUND

The hierarchical model of solid tumor proposes the existence of rare tumor cell subpopulations with stem-cell properties. The glycoprotein prominin-1 (CD133) represents one of the cancer stem-cell markers in several tumor types. The CD133+ cell subpopulation was shown to be enriched for tumor-initiating and highly chemoresistant cells in human cancer(s).

METHODS

We investigated whether CD133+ cells derived from human medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) possess tumor-initiating properties in vivo and exhibit differential responses to chemotherapeutic agents. We demonstrated that separated CD133+ cells from the human MTC cell line TT are enriched for tumor-initiating cells as demonstrated by tumor formation in vivo. Nevertheless, TT CD133+ cells do not exhibit increased chemoresistance in comparison to parental cells. However, when MTC xenotransplants were treated with the chemotherapeutic drug 5-fluorouracil (5FU) in vivo, CD133 expression increased in MTC cells.

RESULTS

This cell line, designated FTTiv isolated from the drug-exposed xenotransplants, exhibits a significantly different response to 5FU associated with the substantial change in the expression profile of genes involved in 5FU metabolism and drug resistance. Moreover, the CD133+ tumor-initiating subpopulation derived from these drug-exposed FTTiv cells is significantly more resistant to 5FU and retains the chemoresistant properties upon FTTiv culture propagation.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that the chemoresistant phenotype and the CD133+ MTC subpopulation emerged in response to chemotherapy in vivo.

Mesenchymal stem cells show little tropism for the resting and differentiated cancer stem cell-like glioma cells

Intrinsic resistance of glioma cells to radiation and chemotherapy is currently hypothesized to be partially attributed to the existence of cancer stem cells. Emerging studies suggest that mesenchymal stem cells may serve as a potential carrier for delivery of therapeutic genes to disseminated glioma cells. However, the tropism character of mesenchymal stem cells for cancer stem cell-like glioma cells has rarely been described. In this study, we obtained homologous bone marrow-derived (BM-) and adipose tissue-derived (AT-) mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), fibroblast, and cancer stem cell-like glioma cells (CSGCs) from tumor-bearing mice, and compared the tropism character of BM- and AT-MSCs for CSGCs with various form of existence. To characterize the cell proliferation and differentiation, the spheroids of CSGCs were cultured on the surface of the substrate with different stiffness, combined with or withdrew basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) in medium. Our results showed that the CSGCs during the process of cell proliferation, but not in resting and differentiated status, display strong tropism characteristics on both BM- and AT-MSCs, as well as the expression of their cell chemokine factors which mediate cell migration. If the conclusion is further confirmed, it may expose a fatal flaw of MSCs as tumor-targeted delivery of therapeutic agents in the treatment of the CSGCs, even other cancer stem cells, because there always exist a part of cancer stem cells that are in resting status. Overall, our findings provide novel insight into the complex issue of the MSCs as drug delivery in the treatment of brain tumors, especially in tumor stem cells.