Effect of implant dose/volume and surgical resection on survival in a rat glioma brachytherapy model: implications for brain tumor therapy

Establishment of a Rodent Glioblastoma Partial Resection Model for Chemotherapy by Local Drug Carriers-Sharing Experience

Local drug delivery systems (LDDS) represent a promising therapy strategy concerning the most common and malignant primary brain tumor glioblastoma (GBM). Nevertheless, to date, only a few systems have been clinically applied, and their success is very limited. Still, numerous new LDDS approaches are currently being developed. Here, (partial resection) GBM animal models play a key role, as such models are needed to evaluate the therapy prior to any human application. However, such models are complex to establish, and only a few reports detail the process. Here, we report our results of establishing a partial resection glioma model in rats suitable for evaluating LDDS. C6-bearing Wistar rats and U87MG-spheroids- and patient-derived glioma stem-like cells-bearing athymic rats underwent tumor resection followed by the implantation of an exemplary LDDS. Inoculation, tumor growth, residual tumor tissue, and GBM recurrence were reliably imaged using high-resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The release from an exemplary LDDS was verified in vitro and in vivo using Fluorescence Molecular Tomography. The presented GBM partial resection model appears to be well suited to determine the efficiency of LDDS. By sharing our expertise, we intend to provide a powerful tool for the future testing of these very promising systems, paving their way into clinical application.

Advances in radiotherapy of brain tumors: radiobiology versus reality

Radiotherapy still remains the most effective adjunctive therapy for malignant gliomas following surgery and provides useful local control for some benign tumors. Research efforts have been directed towards several aspects of the radiation therapy of tumors. The results of clinical trials undertaken in the last decade offer some basis for optimism in the management of patients with malignant brain tumors, although cure is still not a realistic objective. This review focuses on the rationale and radiobiological basis for recent developments in the radiotherapy of adult brain tumors. The salient issues are discussed from a neurosurgeon's perspective.

Experimental iodine-125 seed irradiation of intracerebral brain tumors in nude mice

BACKGROUND

High-dose radiotherapy is standard treatment for patients with brain cancer. However, in preclinical research external beam radiotherapy is limited to heterotopic murine models- high-dose radiotherapy to the murine head is fatal due to radiation toxicity. Therefore, we developed a stereotactic brachytherapy mouse model for high-dose focal irradiation of experimental intracerebral (orthotopic) brain tumors.

METHODS

Twenty-one nude mice received a hollow guide-screw implanted in the skull. After three weeks, 5 x 105 U251-NG2 human glioblastoma cells were injected. Five days later, a 2 mCi iodine-125 brachytherapy seed was inserted through the guide-screw in 11 randomly selected mice; 10 mice received a sham seed. Mice were euthanized when severe neurological or physical symptoms occurred. The cumulative irradiation dose 5 mm below the active iodine-125 seeds was 23.0 Gy after 13 weeks (BEDtumor = 30.6 Gy).

RESULTS

In the sham group, 9/10 animals (90%) showed signs of lethal tumor progression within 6 weeks. In the experimental group, 2/11 mice (18%) died of tumor progression within 13 weeks. Acute side effects in terms of weight loss or neurological symptoms were not observed in the irradiated animals.

CONCLUSION

The intracerebral implantation of an iodine-125 brachytherapy seed through a stereotactic guide-screw in the skull of mice with implanted brain tumors resulted in a significantly prolonged survival, caused by high-dose irradiation of the brain tumor that is biologically comparable to high-dose fractionated radiotherapy- without fatal irradiation toxicity. This is an excellent mouse model for testing orthotopic brain tumor therapies in combination with radiation therapy.

Brain necrosis after permanent low-activity iodine-125 implants: case report and review of toxicity from focal radiation

Focal irradiation has emerged as a useful modality in the management of malignant brain tumors. Its main limitation is radiation necrosis. We report on the radiation dose distribution in the cerebellum of a patient who developed imaging and autopsy diagnosis of radiation necrosis after permanent iodine-125 implants for a solitary osseous plasmacytoma of her left occipital condyle. A 55-year-old woman initially presented with neck and occipital pain and a lytic lesion of her left occipital condyle. A cytological diagnosis of solitary osseous plasmacytoma was made by transpharyngeal needle biopsy. After an initial course of external beam radiation, the patient required further treatment with systemic chemotherapy 21 months later for clinical and radiographic progression of her disease. She ultimately required subtotal surgical resection of an anaplastic plasmacytoma with intracranial extension. Permanent low-activity iodine-125 seeds were implanted in the tumor cavity. Satisfactory local control was achieved. However, clinical and imaging signs of radiation damage appeared 28 months after iodine-125 seed implantation. Progressive systemic myeloma led to her death 11 years after presentation and 9 years after seed implantation. Radiation dose distribution is described, with a discussion of toxicity from focal radiation dose escalation.

Adenoviral vector-mediated gene transfer: timing of wild-type p53 gene expression in vivo and effect of tumor transduction on survival in a rat glioma brachytherapy model

OBJECTIVE

This study sought to investigate modification of the radiation response in a rat 9L brain tumor model in vivo by the wild-type p53 gene (wtp53). Determination of the timing and dose of radiation therapy required the assessment of the duration of the effect of wtp53 expression on 9L tumors after in vivo transfection.

METHODS

Anesthetized male F-344 rats each were stereotactically inoculated with 4 x 10(4) 9L gliosarcoma cells through a skull screw into the cerebrum in the right frontal region. Twelve-day-old tumors were inoculated through the screw with recombinant adenoviral vectors under isoflurane anaesthesia: control rats with Ad5/RSV/GL2 (carrying the luciferase gene), and study rats with Ad5CMV-p53 (carrying the wtp53 gene). Brain tumors removed at specific times after transfection were measured, homogenized, and lysed and wtp53 expression determined by Western blot analysis. Four groups of nine rats were, subsequently, implanted with iodine-125 seeds 15 days post-tumor inoculation to give a minimum tumor dose of 40 or 60 Gy.

RESULTS

We demonstrated transfer of wtp53 into rat 9L tumors in vivo using the Ad5CMV-p53 vector. The expression of wtp53 was demonstrated to be maximum between days 1 and 3 post-vector inoculation. Tumors expressing wtp53 were smaller than controls transfected with Ad5/RSV/GL2 but this difference was not statistically significant. Radiation made a significant difference to the survival of tumor-bearing rats. Moreover, wtp53 expression conferred a significant additional survival advantage.

CONCLUSION

The expression of wtp53 significantly improves the survival of irradiated tumor-bearing rats in our model.