Novel Combination of Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Conditioned Medium with Sorafenib Have Synergistic Antitumor Effect of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

Immunogenic cell death mediated TLR3/4-activated MSCs in U87 GBM cell line

Background and aims

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive primary brain cancer with no promising curative therapies. It has been indicated that MSCs can interact with the tumour microenvironment (TME) through the secretion of soluble mediators regulating intercellular signalling within the TME. TLRs are a multigene family of pattern recognition receptors with evolutionarily conserved regions and are widely expressed in immune and other body cells. MSCs by TLRs can recognize conserved molecular components (DAPMPs and PAPMPs) and activate signalling pathways, which regulate immune and inflammatory responses. MSCs may exert immunomodulatory functions through interaction with their expressed toll-like receptors (TLRs) and exert a protective effect against tumour antigens. As an emerging approach, we aimed to monitor the U87 cell line growth, migration and death markers following specific TLR3/4-primed-MSCs-CMs treatment.

Methods and results

We investigated the phenotypic and functional outcomes of primed-CMs and glioma cell line co-culture following short-term, low-dose TLR3/4 priming. The gene expression profile of target genes, including apoptotic markers and related genes, was analyzed by qRT-PCR. MicroRNA-Seq examined the miRNA expression patterns, and flow cytometry evaluated the cell viability and cycle stages. The results showed significant changes in apoptosis and likely necroptosis-related markers following TLR3/4-primed-MSCs-CMs exposure in the glioma cell line. Notably, we observed a considerable induction of selective pro-apoptotic markers and both the early and late stages of apoptosis in treated U87 cell lines. Additionally, the migration rate of glioma cells significantly decreased following MSCs-CM treatment.

Conclusion

Our findings confirmed that the exposure of TLR3/4-activated-MSCs-CMs with glioma tumour cells possibly changes the immunogenicity of the tumour microenvironment and induces immunogenic programmed cell death. Our results can support the idea that TLR3/4-primed-MSCs can lead to innate immune-mediated cell death and modify tumour cell biology in invasive and metastatic cancers.

Role of immunotherapies and stem cell therapy in the management of liver cancer: A comprehensive review

Liver cancer (LC) is the sixth most common disease and the third most common cause of cancer-related mortality. The WHO predicts that more than 1 million deaths will occur from LC by 2030. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common form of primary LC. Today, the management of LC involves multiple disciplines, and multimodal therapy is typically selected on an individual basis, considering the intricate interactions between the patient's overall health, the stage of the tumor, and the degree of underlying liver disease. Currently, the treatment of cancers, including LC, has undergone a paradigm shift in the last ten years because of immuno-oncology. To treat HCC, immune therapy approaches have been developed to enhance or cause the body's natural immune response to specifically target tumor cells. In this context, immune checkpoint pathway inhibitors, engineered cytokines, adoptive cell therapy, immune cells modified with chimeric antigen receptors, and therapeutic cancer vaccines have advanced to clinical trials and offered new hope to cancer patients. The outcomes of these treatments are encouraging. Additionally, treatment using stem cells is a new approach for restoring deteriorated tissues because of their strong differentiation potential and capacity to release cytokines that encourage cell division and the formation of blood vessels. Although there is no proof that stem cell therapy works for many types of cancer, preclinical research on stem cells has shown promise in treating HCC. This review provides a recent update regarding the impact of immunotherapy and stem cells in HCC and promising outcomes.

Apoptotic effects of mesenchymal stem cells' conditioned medium on colorectal cancer cell lines

Multipotent Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have vigorous immunomodulatory activity, apoptotic effects, and the capacity to migrate to inflammatory and tumor sites. This study focuses on the apoptotic effects of MSCs conditioned medium (CM) on colorectal cancer cell lines. MSCs were preconditioned with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells. The conditioned medium (LPS-CM) from the preconditioned cells was isolated and used to treat colorectal cancer cells (HT29 and SW48). The survival and proliferation of cancer cells were assessed using Trypan blue staining and MTT assay. The apoptosis rate was evaluated through flow cytometry analysis and caspase-3 activity. Additionally, Real-Time PCR was used to measure the mRNA level of apoptotic and anti-apoptotic factors, including bcl2, bax, and p53 genes. The results showed that LPS-CM significantly increased (p < 0.001) the percentage of apoptosis in the SW48 and HT29 cell lines. Caspase-3 activity significantly increased (p < 0.001) in these cell lines after treatment with LPS-CM. The mRNA level of bcl2 was significantly decreased (p < 0.001), while bax and p53 genes were significantly overexpressed (p < 0.001) in the LPS-CM treated cell lines. Notably, the mRNA level of bcl2 and bax genes was significantly altered at a higher concentration of LPS-CM. In conclusion, the conditioned medium from LPS-preconditioned MSCs can effectively induce apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells. This finding suggests that LPS-CM could be a potential strategy for inhibiting the proliferation and progression of colorectal cancer cells.

Hopes and opportunities of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) in cartilage tissue regeneration

Cartilage lesions are common conditions, affecting elderly and non-athletic populations. Despite recent advances, cartilage regeneration remains a major challenge today. The absence of an inflammatory response following damage and the inability of stem cells to penetrate into the healing site due to the absence of blood and lymph vessels are assumed to hinder joint repair. Stem cell-based regeneration and tissue engineering have opened new horizons for treatment. With advances in biological sciences, especially stem cell research, the function of various growth factors in the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation has been established. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) isolated from different tissues have been shown to increase into therapeutically relevant cell numbers and differentiate into mature chondrocytes. As MSCs can differentiate and become engrafted inside the host, they are considered suitable candidates for cartilage regeneration. Stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) provide a novel and non-invasive source of MSCs. Due to their simple isolation, chondrogenic differentiation potential, and minimal immunogenicity, they can be an interesting option for cartilage regeneration. Recent studies have reported that SHED-derived secretome contains biomolecules and compounds that efficiently promote regeneration in damaged tissues, including cartilage. Overall, this review highlighted the advances and challenges of cartilage regeneration using stem cell-based therapies by focusing on SHED.

Effect of Co-culturing both placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells and their condition medium in the cancer cell (HepG2) migration, damage through apoptosis and cell cycle arrest

Human placental-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hPMSCs) are a promising candidate to inhibit the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines such as HepG2. The effects of hPMSCs and their conditioned media on HepG2 are, however, still a mystery. As a result, the goal of this study was to look into the effects of hPMSCs and their conditioned media on HepG2 and figure out what was going on. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting and the MTT test were used to determine the percentage of cells that died (early apoptosis, late apoptosis). The DIO and DID colors were used to detect cell fusion and cell death in both cells. HepG2 cells were co-treated with hPMSCs or hPMSCs-conditioned medium (hPMSCs-CM) to reduce growth and promote apoptosis. Morphological changes were also seen in the 30 percent, 50 percent, and 60 percent cases. The secretion of cytokine was determined by the ELISA. Flow cytometry, caspase 9 immunofluorescence, qPCR (detection of Bax, Bcl-2, and β-catenin genes), western blot, and immunophenotyping revealed that treatment with hPMSCs or hPMSCs-CM caused HepG2 cell death through apoptosis (detection of caspase 9, caspase 3 protein). HepG2 cell cycle arrest could be induced by hPMSCs and hPMSCs-CM. Following treatment with hPMSCs or hPMSCs-CM, HepG2 cell development was stopped in the G0/G1 phase. These treatments also inhibited HepG2 cells from migrating, with the greatest effect when the highest ratio/concentration of hPMSCs (70%) and hPMSCs-CM were used (90%). Our findings indicated that hPMSCs and hPMSCs-CM could be promising treatment options for liver cancer. To elucidate the proper effect, more research on liver cancer-induced rat/mice is needed.

The Dual Role of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells and Their Extracellular Vesicles in Carcinogenesis

Simple Summary

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane structures that play the role of intermediaries between tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME) because they have the ability to transport lipids, transcription factors, mRNA, and proteins. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a major component of the TME and may have different effects on tumor progression using EVs. This review includes information about various studies which have reported that EVs from MSCs can have either antitumor or pro-tumor effects, depending on both the tumor type and developmental stage. It provides an overview of the published data on EV MSCs and their effect on tumor cells. In addition, the use of EV MSCs for the development of new methods for treating oncological diseases is described.

Abstract

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a major component of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and play an important role in tumor progression. MSCs remodel the extracellular matrix, participate in the epithelial–mesenchymal transition, promote the spread of metastases, and inhibit antitumor immune responses in the TME; however, there are also data pertaining to the antitumor effects of MSCs. MSCs activate the cell death mechanism by modulating the expression of proteins involved in the regulation of the cell cycle, angiogenesis receptors, and proapoptotic proteins. One of the main ways in which MSCs and TME interact is through the production of extracellular vesicles (EVs) by cells. Currently, data on the effects of both MSCs and their EVs on tumor cells are rather contradictory. Various studies have reported that EVs from MSCs can have either antitumor or pro-tumor effects, depending on both the tumor type and developmental stage. In this review, we discuss published data on EV MSCs and their effect on tumor cells. The molecular composition of vesicles obtained from MSCs is also presented in the review. In addition, the use of EV MSCs for the development of new methods for treating oncological diseases is described.

Apoptotic effects of human amniotic fluid mesenchymal stem cells conditioned medium on human MCF-7 breast cancer cell line

Introduction

Breast cancer, as the most common malignancy among women, is shown to have a high mortality rate and resistance to chemotherapy. Research has shown the possible inhibitory role of Mesenchymal stem cells in curing cancer. Thus, the present work used human amniotic fluid mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium (hAFMSCs-CM) as an apoptotic reagent on the human MCF-7 breast cancer cell line.

Methods

Conditioned medium (CM) was prepared from hAFMSCs. After treating MCF-7 cells with CM, a number of analytical procedures (MTT, real-time PCR, western blot, and flow cytometry) were recruited to evaluate the cell viability, Bax and Bcl-2 gene expression, P53 protein expression, and apoptosis, respectively. Human fibroblast cells (Hu02) were used as the negative control. In addition, an integrated approach to meta-analysis was performed.

Results

The MCF-7 cells' viability was decreased significantly after 24 hours (P < 0.0001) and 72 hours (P < 0.05) of treatment. Compared with the control cells, Bax gene's mRNA expression increased and Bcl-2's mRNA expression decreased considerably after treating for 24 hours with 80% hAFMSCs-CM (P = 0.0012, P < 0.0001, respectively); an increasing pattern in P53 protein expression could also be observed. The flow cytometry analysis indicated apoptosis. Results from literature mining and the integrated meta-analysis showed that hAFMSCs-CM is able to activate a molecular network where Bcl2 downregulation stands in harmony with the upregulation of P53, EIF5A, DDB2, and Bax, leading to the activation of apoptosis.

Conclusion

Our finding demonstrated that hAFMSCs-CM presents apoptotic effect on MCF-7 cells; therefore, the application of hAFMSCs-CM, as a therapeutic reagent, can suppress breast cancer cells' viabilities and induce apoptosis.

The Roles of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Gastrointestinal Cancers

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were reported to have strong immunomodulatory ability, and inhibit the proliferation of T cells and their immune response through cell-to-cell interactions and the generation of cytokines. With high differentiation potential and self-renewal ability, MSCs are considered to function in alleviating inflammatory responses, promoting tissue regeneration and inhibiting tissue fibrosis formation. As the most common malignancies, gastrointestinal (GI) cancers have high incidence and mortality. The accurate diagnosis, exact prognosis and treatment of GI cancers have always been a hot topic. Therefore, the potential applications of MSCs in terms of GI cancers are receiving more and more attention. Recently, there is increasing evidence that MSCs may serve as a key point in the growth, metastasis, inhibition, treatment and prognosis of GI cancers. In this review, we summarized the roles of MSCs in GI cancers, mainly focusing on esophageal cancer (EC), gastric cancer (GC), liver cancer (LC), colorectal cancer (CRC) and pancreatic cancer. Besides, we proposed MSCs as potential targets and treatment strategies for the effective treatment of GI cancers, which may provide better guidance for the clinical treatment of GI cancers.

The role of mesenchymal stem cells in the occurrence, development, and therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver malignant tumor, with high recurrence and mortality rates. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells that can be recruited into the tumor microenvironment (TME). What is known, TME plays a vital part in tumor progression. In recent years, accumulating studies have found that MSCs have a dual role of promotion and inhibition in the occurrence and development of HCC. In this review, we analyzed the role of MSCs in TME and summarized the relationship between MSCs and liver cancer stem cells, the molecular signaling pathway mechanisms of MSCs promoting and inhibiting HCC, and the latest research progress of MSCs in the treatment of HCC.

Adipose derived mesenchymal stem cell secretome formulation as a biotherapeutic to inhibit growth of drug resistant triple negative breast cancer

In the present study, a protocol was developed for processing of human adipose derived mesenchymal stem cell secretome formulation of varying concentration. Its molecular composition was evaluated, and its effectiveness in vitro using breast cancer cell lines, and in vivo in a nude mice breast cancer model was studied to determine its role in suppressing triple negative breast cancer in a dose dependent manner. Because the secretome could have value as an add-on therapy along with a current drug, the effectiveness of the secretome both in monotherapy and in combination therapy along with paclitaxel was evaluated. The results showed significant cell kill when exposed to the secretome above 20 mg/ml at which concentration there was no toxicity to normal cells. 70 mg/ml of SF showed 90 ± 10% apoptosis and significant decrease in CD44⁺/CD24⁻, MDR1+ and PDL-1+ cancer cells. In vivo, the tumor showed no growth after daily intra tumor injections at 50 mg/ml and 100 mg/ml doses whereas substantial tumor growth occurred after saline intra tumor injection. The study concludes that SF is a potential biotherapeutic for breast cancer and could be used initially as an add-on therapy to other standard of care to provide improved efficacy without other adverse effects.

Small interfering RNA targeting alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor sensitizes hepatocellular carcinoma cells to sorafenib

AIMS

It has been demonstrated that reduced expression of alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) led to reduced chemotherapeutic drugs resistance in various cancer cells. However, whether small interfering RNA (siRNA) mediated knockdown of α7nAChR can reduce sorafenib (SOR) resistance in HCC cells remains to be determined.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The effects of α7nAChR-siRNA in combination with SOR treatment was analyzed in human (HepG2) and mouse (Hepa 1-6) HCC cell lines. The MTT, DAPI staining and flow cytometry assays were applied to measure the cell viability, apoptosis and cell cycle progression of the cells. Also, the changes in the mRNA and protein levels of the α7nAChR were measured by quantitative real-time PCR and western blot analysis, respectively.

KEY FINDINGS

The results revealed that SOR increased both mRNA and protein levels of α7nAChR in HCC cells. Treatment with α7nAChR-siRNA abolished these effects. Also, SOR treatment in combination with α7nAChR-siRNA significantly sensitizes HCC cells to SOR cytotoxicity. This combination therapy significantly induced HCC cells apoptosis compared to SOR alone.

SIGNIFICANCE

These experimental results indicate that knockdown of α7nAChR by siRNA increased the SOR antitumor activity of HCC cells and suggests that this additive combination is a promising drug candidate for HCC therapy.