The tumor microenvironment is importantly shaped by various cytokines, where interleukins (ILs) and interferons (IFNs) shape the balance of immune activity within tumor niche and associated lymphoid ...organs. Their importance in activation and tuning of both innate and adaptive immune responses prompted their use in several clinical trials, albeit with limited therapeutic efficacy and risk of toxicity due to systemic administration. Increasing preclinical evidence suggests that local delivery of ILs and IFNs could significantly increase their effectiveness, while simultaneously attenuate the known side effects and issues related to their biological activity. A prominent way to achieve this is to use cell-based delivery vehicles. For this purpose, mesenchymal stromal stem cells (MSCs) are considered an almost ideal candidate. Namely, MSCs can be obtained in large quantities and from obtainable sources (e.g. umbilical cord or adipose tissue), their ex vivo expansion is relatively straightforward compared to other cell types and they possess very low immunogenicity making them suitable for allogeneic use. Importantly, MSCs have shown an intrinsic capacity to respond to tumor-directed chemotaxis. This review provides a focused and detailed discussion on MSC-based gene therapy using ILs and IFNs, engineering techniques and insights on potential future advancements.
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•MSCs represent one of the most ideal candidates for intratumoral cytokine delivery.•Both ILs and IFNs importantly shape the tumor microenvironment.•Gene delivery of ILs and IFNs can favourably shape the tumor immune contexture.•MSCs can be modified to gain synergistic anti-tumor effects and to inhibit tumor promoting activities of certain cytokines.
Abstract
Bladder cancer is the 10th most commonly diagnosed cancer with the highest lifetime treatment costs. The human amniotic membrane (hAM) is the innermost foetal membrane that possesses a wide ...range of biological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and anticancer properties. Despite the growing number of studies, the mechanisms associated with the anticancer effects of human amniotic membrane (hAM) are poorly understood. Here, we reported that hAM preparations (homogenate and extract) inhibited the expression of the epithelial–mesenchymal transition markers N-cadherin and MMP-2 in bladder cancer urothelial cells in a dose-dependent manner, while increasing the secretion of TIMP-2. Moreover, hAM homogenate exerted its antimigratory effect by downregulating the expression of FAK and proteins involved in actin cytoskeleton reorganisation, such as cortactin and small RhoGTPases. In muscle-invasive cancer urothelial cells, hAM homogenate downregulated the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling pathway, the key cascade involved in promoting bladder cancer. By using normal, non-invasive papilloma and muscle-invasive cancer urothelial models, new perspectives on the anticancer effects of hAM have emerged. The results identify new sites for therapeutic intervention and are prompt encouragement for ongoing anticancer drug development studies.
Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer is the most common form of bladder cancer. The main problem in managing bladder tumors is the high recurrence after the transurethral resection of bladder tumors ...(TURBT). Our study aimed to examine the fate of intravesically applied cancer cells as the implantation of cancer cells after TURBT is thought to be a cause of tumor recurrence. We established an orthotopic mouse bladder tumor model with MB49-GFP cancer cells and traced them during the first three days to define their location and contacts with normal urothelial cells. Data were obtained by Western blot, immunolabeling, and light and electron microscopy. We showed that within the first two hours, applied cancer cells adhered to the traumatized epithelium by cell projections containing α3β1 integrin on their tips. Cancer cells then migrated through the epithelium and on day 3, they reached the basal lamina or even penetrated it. In established bladder tumors, E-cadherin and desmoplakin 1/2 were shown as feasible immunohistochemical markers of tumor margins based on the immunolabeling of various junctional proteins. Altogether, these results for the first time illustrate cancer cell implantation in vivo mimicking cellular events of tumor recurrence in bladder cancer patients.
Assessment of functional tumor-specific T-cell responses in preclinical tumor models represents an important tool for successful translation of new immunotherapies to clinics. Usually, it requires a ...known tumor antigen target. Here, we describe the method to detect tumor-specific T cell after immunotherapies without a known antigen. Splenocytes, lymph node immune cells, or PBMCs are isolated from treated mice and stimulated with relevant tumor cells ex vivo before immunospot analysis of Granzyme B and interferon γ-positive T cells. The method is especially valuable for monitoring tumor-specific T cells after vaccination with various whole tumor vaccines or after in situ vaccination and other antigen agnostic immunotherapies, where no specific antigens are used.
Despite the advances in anticancer therapies, their effectiveness for many human tumors is still far from being optimal. Significant improvements in treatment efficacy can come from the enhancement ...of drug specificity. This goal may be achieved by combining the use of therapeutic molecules with tumor specific effects and delivery carriers with tumor targeting ability. In this regard, nucleic acid-based drug (NABD) and particularly small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), are attractive molecules due to the possibility to be engineered to target specific tumor genes. On the other hand, polymeric-based delivery systems are emerging as versatile carriers to generate tumor-targeted delivery systems. Here we will focus on the most recent findings in the selection of siRNA/polymeric targeted delivery systems for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a human tumor for which currently available therapeutic approaches are poorly effective. In addition, we will discuss the most attracting and, in our opinion, promising siRNA-polymer combinations for HCC in relation to the biological features of HCC tissue. Attention will be also put on the mathematical description of the mechanisms ruling siRNA-carrier delivery, this being an important aspect to improve effectiveness reducing the experimental work.
The problem of the currently used routine genotoxicity tests is relatively low predictivity of in vitro tests for in vivo genotoxicity and carcinogenicity. An important reason is considered to be ...inadequate expression of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in indicator cell lines. The aim of our study was to generate metabolically active differentiated hepatic progenies (hDHP) from human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hASC) for genotoxicity testing. hDHP, generated using a three-step hepatic differentiation procedure, expressed hepatic properties such as glycogen storage and albumin secretion. The results of the comet assay demonstrated comparable sensitivity of hASC and hDHP to detect DNA damage induced by a direct acting genotoxic agent tert-butylhydroperoxide. Exposure to model indirect acting genotoxins benzo(a)pyrene, aflatoxin B
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, and 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo4,5-bpyridine did not induce DNA damage in hASC, while hDHP cells detected DNA damage induced by benzo(a)pyrene and aflatoxin B
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, indicating their metabolic activity. The gene and protein expression analysis confirmed the presence of key enzymes involved in metabolism of the three genotoxins in hDHP cells. Moreover, the exposure of hDHP to the model pro-carcinogens altered the expression of selected metabolic genes. hDHP were further immortalized with hTERT transfection, resulting in a stable cell line that can be matured to metabolically active hDHP ready for genotoxicity testing in only 2 weeks. The advantage of these immortalized cells is their prolonged replicative life span and consequently limitless supply of hDHP cells. We conclude that hDHP cells have a great potential for the application in the routine genotoxicity testing and are therefore worth further investigations.
Metastatic disease is the major cause of cancer death, and the lung is one of the most common sites of cancer metastases. To investigate systemic antitumor effects or protective potential of local ...therapies, mouse models with induced metastases are indispensable in preclinical cancer research. Here, we describe the protocol for the metastatic mouse model established through induced 4T1 mammary carcinoma metastases. With minor prior optimization, it can be applied to other tumor cell lines of interest.
Mouse tumor models are an important tool in cancer research, and the orthotopic cancer cell transplantation model is the most widely used among them. Methods for establishing tumor models may differ ...in many ways, including the selection of cancer cell lines and the type of urinary bladder pretreatment. Here, we describe our mouse orthotopic bladder tumor model using a labeled MB49 urothelial cancer cell line and chemical pretreatment with the cationic polypeptide poly-L-lysine to traumatize the bladder epithelium. Double labeling of MB49 cancer cells by their transduction with GFP and internalization of metal nanoparticles allows the study of their implantation process from the first hours to several days after intravesical injection, as well as the analysis of developed tumors after 3 weeks. Thus, our model provides a comprehensive analysis of the early and late stages of tumor development in the bladder at the light and electron microscopic level.
Evaluation of shRNA-mediated gene silencing by electroporation in LPB fibrosarcoma cells Background. Silencing oncogenes or other genes that contribute to tumor malignancy and progression offers a ...promising approach to treating cancer. Specific and efficient silencing of gene expression can be achieved by RNA interference (RNAi) technology using small interfering RNA (siRNA) or short hairpin RNA (shRNA). However, a major challenge in RNAi technology is effective delivery of interfering molecules into target cells. The aim of our study was to evaluate electroporation as a perspective method for efficient in vitro transfection of LPB fibrosarcoma cells with plasmid DNA expressing shRNA. Methods. Induction of shRNA-mediated gene silencing by electroporation was determined by fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry and western blot analysis. The effect of electroporation conditions on cell survival and proliferation was determined by clonogenic assay. Results and conclusions. Our results demonstrated that electroporation is a feasible and effective method for delivery of plasmid DNA expressing shRNA into cancer cells in vitro. Electrotransfection of murine LPB fibrosarcoma cells, continuously expressing green fluorescence protein - GFP (LPBGFP), with plasmid DNA encoding shRNA-GFP, reduced GFP expression, which was determined on the protein level, as well as by measurement of GFP fluorescence intensity. A pronounced reduction in GFP expression level was detected from the second to the fifth day after treatment. Moreover, the method is easy to perform and showed low cell damaging effects, which are the most important and preferential factors for further in vivo studies.
Targeting the tumor vasculature through specific endothelial cell markers involved in different signaling pathways represents a promising tool for tumor radiosensitization. Two prominent targets are ...endoglin (CD105), a transforming growth factor β co-receptor, and the melanoma cell adhesion molecule (CD1046), present also on many tumors. In our recent in vitro study, we constructed and evaluated a plasmid for simultaneous silencing of these two targets. In the current study, our aim was to explore the therapeutic potential of gene electrotransfer-mediated delivery of this new plasmid in vivo, and to elucidate the effects of combined therapy with tumor irradiation. The antitumor effect was evaluated by determination of tumor growth delay and proportion of tumor free mice in the syngeneic murine mammary adenocarcinoma tumor model TS/A. Histological analysis of tumors (vascularization, proliferation, hypoxia, necrosis, apoptosis and infiltration of immune cells) was performed to evaluate the therapeutic mechanisms. Additionally, potential activation of the immune response was evaluated by determining the induction of DNA sensor STING and selected pro-inflammatory cytokines using qRT-PCR. The results point to a significant radiosensitization and a good therapeutic potential of this gene therapy approach in an otherwise radioresistant and immunologically cold TS/A tumor model, making it a promising novel treatment modality for a wide range of tumors.
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