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Maduabuchi WO, Tansi FL, Faenger B, Southern P, Pankhurst QA, Steiniger F, Westermann M, Hilger I. Local Magnetic Hyperthermia and Systemic Gemcitabine/Paclitaxel Chemotherapy Triggers Neo-Angiogenesis in Orthotopic Pancreatic Tumors without Involvement of Auto/Paracrine Tumor Cell VEGF Signaling and Hypoxia. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 16:33. [PMID: 38201461 PMCID: PMC10778317 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16010033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
There is a growing interest in exploring the therapeutically mediated modulation of tumor vascularization of pancreatic cancer, which is known for its poorly perfused tumor microenvironment limiting the delivery of therapeutic agents to the tumor site. Here, we assessed how magnetic hyperthermia in combination with chemotherapy selectively affects growth, the vascular compartment of tumors, and the presence of tumor cells expressing key regulators of angiogenesis. To that purpose, a orthotopic PANC-1 (fluorescent human pancreatic adenocarcinoma) mouse tumor model (Rj:Athym-Foxn1nu/nu) was used. Magnetic hyperthermia was applied alone or in combination with systemic chemotherapy (gemcitabine 50 mg per kg body weight, nab-pacitaxel 30 mg/kg body weight) on days 1 and 7 following magnetic nanoparticle application (dose: 1 mg per 100 mm3 of tumor). We used ultrasound imaging, immunohistochemistry, multi-spectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT), and hematology to assess the biological parameters mentioned above. We found that magnetic hyperthermia in combination with gemcitabine/paclitaxel chemotherapy was able to impact tumor growth (decreased volumes and Ki67 expression) and to trigger neo-angiogenesis (increased small vessel diameter) as a result of the therapeutically mediated cell damages/stress in tumors. The applied stressors activated specific pro-angiogenic mechanisms, which differed from those seen in hypoxic conditions involving HIF-1α, since (a) treated tumors showed a significant decrease of cells expressing VEGF, CD31, HIF-1α, and neuropilin-1; and (b) the relative tumor blood volume and oxygen level remained unchanged. Neo-angiogenesis seems to be the result of the activation of cell stress pathways, like MAPK pathways (high number of pERK-expressing tumor cells). In the long term, the combination of magnetic hyperthermia and chemotherapy could potentially be applied to transiently modulate tumor angiogenesis and to improve drug accessibility during oncologic therapies of pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wisdom O. Maduabuchi
- Department of Experimental Radiology, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany (F.L.T.); (B.F.)
| | - Felista L. Tansi
- Department of Experimental Radiology, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany (F.L.T.); (B.F.)
| | - Bernd Faenger
- Department of Experimental Radiology, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany (F.L.T.); (B.F.)
| | - Paul Southern
- Resonant Circuits Limited, 21 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4BS, UK; (P.S.); (Q.A.P.)
- Healthcare Biomagnetics Laboratory, University College London, 21 Albemarle St., London W1S 4BS, UK
| | - Quentin A. Pankhurst
- Resonant Circuits Limited, 21 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4BS, UK; (P.S.); (Q.A.P.)
- Healthcare Biomagnetics Laboratory, University College London, 21 Albemarle St., London W1S 4BS, UK
| | - Frank Steiniger
- Center for Electron Microscopy, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Ziegelmuehlenweg 1, 07743 Jena, Germany; (F.S.); (M.W.)
| | - Martin Westermann
- Center for Electron Microscopy, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Ziegelmuehlenweg 1, 07743 Jena, Germany; (F.S.); (M.W.)
| | - Ingrid Hilger
- Department of Experimental Radiology, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany (F.L.T.); (B.F.)
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