Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a lethal cancer that responds poorly to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Glioma cancer-initiating cells have been shown to recapitulate the characteristic features of ...GBM and mediate chemotherapy and radiation resistance. However, it is unknown whether the cancer-initiating cells contribute to the profound immune suppression in GBM patients. Recent studies have found that the activated form of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a key mediator in GBM immunosuppression. We isolated and generated CD133+ cancer-initiating single colonies from GBM patients and investigated their immune suppressive properties. We found that the cancer-initiating cells inhibited T cell proliferation and activation, induced regulatory T cells (Tregs) and triggered T cell apoptosis. The STAT3 pathway is constitutively active in these clones and the immunosuppressive properties were markedly diminished when the STAT3 pathway was blocked in the cancer-initiating cells. These findings indicate that cancer-initiating cells contribute to GBMs’ immune evasion and that blockade of the STAT3 pathway has therapeutic potential.
Background Emerging evidence suggests anti-cancer immunity is involved in the therapeutic effect induced by oncolytic viruses. Here we investigate the effect of Delta-24-RGD oncolytic adenovirus on ...innate and adaptive anti-glioma immunity. Design Mouse GL261-glioma model was set up in immunocompetent C57BL/6 mouse for Delta-24-RGD treatment. The changes of the immune cell populations were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. The anti-glioma immunity was evaluated with functional study of the splenocytes isolated from the mice. The efficacy of the virotherapy was assessed with animal survival analysis. The direct effect of the virus on the tumor-associated antigen presentation to CD8+ T cells was analyzed with an in vitro ovalbumin (OVA) modeling system. Results Delta-24-RGD induced cytotoxic effect in mouse glioma cells. Viral treatment in GL261-glioma bearing mice caused infiltration of innate and adaptive immune cells, instigating a Th1 immunity at the tumor site which resulted in specific anti-glioma immunity, shrunken tumor and prolonged animal survival. Importantly, viral infection and IFN gamma increased the presentation of OVA antigen in OVA-expressing cells to CD8+ T-cell hybridoma B3Z cells, which is blocked by brefeldin A and proteasome inhibitors, indicating the activity is through the biosynthesis and proteasome pathway. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that Delta-24-RGD induces anti-glioma immunity and offers the first evidence that viral infection directly enhances presentation of tumor-associated antigens to immune cells.
Rapamycin has previously been shown to be efficacious against intracerebral glioma xenografts and to act in a cytostatic manner against gliomas. However, very little is known about the mechanism of ...action of rapamycin. The purpose of our study was to further investigate the in vitro and in vivo mechanisms of action of rapamycin, to elucidate molecular end points that may be applicable for investigation in a clinical trial, and to examine potential mechanisms of treatment failure. In the phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted from chromosome 10 (PTEN)-null glioma cell lines U-87 and D-54, but not the oligodendroglioma cell line HOG (PTEN null), doses of rapamycin at the IC50 resulted in accumulation of cells in G1, with a corresponding decrease in the fraction of cells traversing the S phase as early as 24 h after dosing. All glioma cell lines tested had markedly diminished production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) when cultured with rapamycin, even at doses below the IC50. After 48 h of exposure to rapamycin, the glioma cell lines (but not HOG cells) showed downregulation of the membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) invasion molecule. In U-87 cells, MMP-2 was downregulated, and in D-54 cells, both MMP-2 and MMP-9 were downregulated after treatment with rapamycin. Treatment of established subcutaneous U-87 xenografts in vivo resulted in marked tumor regression (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemical studies of subcutaneous U-87 tumors demonstrated diminished production of VEGF in mice treated with rapamycin. Gelatin zymography showed marked reduction of MMP-2 in the mice with subcutaneous U-87 xenografts that were treated with rapamycin as compared with controls treated with phosphatebuffered saline. In contrast, treatment of established intracerebral U-87 xenografts did not result in increased median survival despite inhibition of the Akt pathway within the tumors. Also, in contrast with our findings for subcutaneous tumors, immunohistochemistry and quantitative Western blot analysis results for intracerebral U-87 xenografts indicated that there is not significant VEGF production, which suggests possible deferential regulation of the hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha in the intracerebral compartment. These findings demonstrate that the complex operational mechanisms of rapamycin against gliomas include cytostasis, anti-VEGF, and anti-invasion activity, but these are dependent on the in vivo location of the tumor and have implications for the design of a clinical trial.
There is currently no reproducible animal model of human spinal metastasis that allows for laboratory study of the human disease. Consequently, the authors sought to develop an orthotopic model of ...spinal metastasis by using a human lung cancer cell line, and to correlate neurological decline with tumor growth.
To establish a model of spinal metastasis, the authors used a transperitoneal surgical approach to implant PC-14 lung tumors into the L-3 vertebral body of nude mice via a drill hole. In 24 animals, motor function was scored daily by using the validated semiquantitative Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) scale. A second group of 26 animals (6 or 7 per time point) were sacrificed at specific times, and the spines were removed, sectioned, and stained. Canal compromise was analyzed quantitatively by determining the ratio of the area of the neural elements to the area of the spinal canal on histological sections (neural/canal ratio). Correlations between BBB score and histological evaluation of tumor growth were assessed.
Lung cancer xenografts grew in all animals undergoing functional evaluation (24 mice) according to a reliable and reproducible time course, with paraplegia occurring at a median interval of 30 days following tumor implantation (95% CI 28.1-31.9 days). Importantly, the analysis defined 4 key milestones based on components of the BBB score; these were observed in all animals, were consistent, and correlated with histological progression of tumor. From Days 1 to 14, the mean BBB score declined from 21 to 19. The animals progressed from normal walking with the tail up to walking with the tail constantly touching the ground (milestone 1). The median time to tail dragging was 12 days (95% CI 10.8-13.2). Histological studies on Day 14 demonstrated that tumor had progressed from partial to complete VB infiltration, with initial compression of the neural elements and epidural tumor extension to adjacent levels (mean neural/canal ratio 0.32 +/- 0.05, 7 mice). From Days 15 to 20/21 (left/right leg), the mean BBB score declined from 19 to 14. Animals showed gait deterioration, with the development of dorsal stepping (milestone 2). The median time to dorsal stepping was 21 days (95% CI 19.4-22.6) in the left hindlimb and 23 days (95% CI 20.6-25.4) in the right hindlimb. Histological studies on Day 21 demonstrated an increase in the severity of the neural element compression, with tumor extending to adjacent epidural and osseous levels (mean neural/canal ratio 0.19 +/- 0.05, 6 mice). From Days 22 to 26/27 (left/right leg), the mean BBB score declined from 14 to 8. Animals had progressive difficulty ambulating, to the point where they showed only sweeping movements of the hindlimb (milestone 3). The median time to hindlimb sweeping was 26 days (95% CI 23.6-28.4) and 28 days (95% CI 27.1-28.9) in the left and right hindlimbs, respectively. Histological studies on Day 28 revealed progressive obliteration of the spinal canal (mean neural/canal ratio 0.09 +/- 0.01, 7 mice). From Days 29 to 36, the animals progressed to paralysis (milestone 4). The median time to paralysis was 29 days (95% CI 27.6-30.4) and 30 days (95% CI 28.1-31.9) in the left and right hindlimbs, respectively.
The authors have developed an orthotopic murine model of human spinal metastasis in which neurological decline reproducibly correlates with severity of tumor progression. Although developed for lung cancer, this model can be expanded to study other types of metastatic or primary spinal tumors. Ultimately, this will allow testing of targeted therapies against specific tumor types.
Delta24-RGD is an infectivity-augmented, conditionally replicative oncolytic adenovirus with significant antiglioma effects. Although intratumoral delivery of Delta24-RGD may be effective, ...intravascular delivery would improve successful application in humans. Due to their tumor tropic properties, we hypothesized that human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) could be harnessed as intravascular delivery vehicles of Delta24-RGD to human gliomas. To assess cellular events, green fluorescent protein-labeled hMSCs carrying Delta24-RGD (hMSC-Delta24) were injected into the carotid artery of mice harboring orthotopic U87MG or U251-V121 xenografts and brain sections were analyzed by immunofluorescence for green fluorescent protein and viral proteins (E1A and hexon) at increasing times. hMSC-Delta24 selectively localized to glioma xenografts and released Delta24-RGD, which subsequently infected glioma cells. To determine efficacy, mice were implanted with luciferase- labeled glioma xenografts, treated with hMSC-Delta24 or controls, and imaged weekly by bioluminescence imaging. Analysis of tumor size by bioluminescence imaging showed inhibition of glioma growth and eradication of tumors in hMSC-Delta24-treated animals compared with controls (P < 0.0001). There was an increase in median survival from 42 days in controls to 75.5 days in hMSC-Delta24-treated animals (P < 0.0001) and an increase in survival beyond 80 days from 0% to 37.5%, respectively. We conclude that intra-arterially delivered hMSC-Delta24 selectively localize to human gliomas and are capable of delivering and releasing Delta24-RGD into the tumor, resulting in improved survival and tumor eradication in subsets of mice.
Mechanisms of action of rapamycin in gliomas1 Heimberger, Amy B.; Wang, Enze; McGary, Eric C. ...
Neuro-oncology (Charlottesville, Va.),
01/2005, Letnik:
7, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Rapamycin has previously been shown to be efficacious against intracerebral glioma xenografts and to act in a cytostatic manner against gliomas. However, very little is known about the mechanism of ...action of rapamycin. The purpose of our study was to further investigate the in vitro and in vivo mechanisms of action of rapamycin, to elucidate molecular end points that may be applicable for investigation in a clinical trial, and to examine potential mechanisms of treatment failure. In the phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted from chromosome 10 (PTEN)-null glioma cell lines U-87 and D-54, but not the oligodendroglioma cell line HOG (PTEN null), doses of rapamycin at the IC
50
resulted in accumulation of cells in G
1
, with a corresponding decrease in the fraction of cells traversing the S phase as early as 24 h after dosing. All glioma cell lines tested had markedly diminished production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) when cultured with rapamycin, even at doses below the IC
50
. After 48 h of exposure to rapamycin, the glioma cell lines (but not HOG cells) showed downregulation of the membrane type–1 matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) invasion molecule. In U-87 cells, MMP-2 was downregulated, and in D-54 cells, both MMP-2 and MMP-9 were downregulated after treatment with rapamycin. Treatment of established subcutaneous U-87 xenografts in vivo resulted in marked tumor regression (
P
< 0.05). Immunohistochemical studies of subcutaneous U-87 tumors demonstrated diminished production of VEGF in mice treated with rapamycin. Gelatin zymography showed marked reduction of MMP-2 in the mice with subcutaneous U-87 xenografts that were treated with rapamycin as compared with controls treated with phosphate-buffered saline. In contrast, treatment of established intracerebral U-87 xenografts did not result in increased median survival despite inhibition of the Akt pathway within the tumors. Also, in contrast with our findings for subcutaneous tumors, immunohistochemistry and quantitative Western blot analysis results for intracerebral U-87 xenografts indicated that there is not significant VEGF production, which suggests possible deferential regulation of the hypoxia-inducible factor 1α in the intracerebral compartment. These findings demonstrate that the complex operational mechanisms of rapamycin against gliomas include cytostasis, anti-VEGF, and anti-invasion activity, but these are dependent on the in vivo location of the tumor and have implications for the design of a clinical trial.
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