Human Neural Stem Cells Overexpressing a Carboxylesterase Inhibit Bladder Tumor Growth

rAAV9-UPII-TK-EGFP can precisely transduce a suicide gene and inhibit the growth of bladder tumors

Bladder cancer is a common and widespread cancer of the human urinary system, and its incidence is increasing. Gene therapy is a promising treatment of bladder cancer. In our study, a recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV9-UPII-TK-EGFP) driven by a UPII promoter was constructed. The efficacy and safety of infection of bladder cells was tested in vivo and in vitro. The ability of rAAV9-UPII-TK-EGFP to penetrate the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) layer on the surface of bladder cells and to transduce the bladder cells in vivo was very high. Additionally, we confirmed that the TK/GCV system has a powerful cytotoxic effect on bladder tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. Thus, our data indicate that rAAV9-UPII-TK-EGFP is a precise gene drug delivery system for the treatment of bladder cancer, and the TK/GCV therapeutic strategy has a powerful antitumor effect. These findings can be widely used in clinical and scientific studies.

Nanomaterial-involved neural stem cell research: Disease treatment, cell labeling, and growth regulation

Neural stem cells (NSCs) have been widely investigated for their potential in the treatment of various diseases and transplantation therapy. However, NSC growth regulation, labeling, and its application to disease diagnosis and treatment are outstanding challenges. Recently, nanomaterials have shown promise for various applications including genetic modification, imaging, and controlled drug release. Here we summarize the recent progress in the use of nanomaterials in combination with NSCs for disease treatment and diagnosis, cell labeling, and NSC growth regulation. The toxicity of nanomaterials to NSCs is also discussed.