Evaluating the effect of therapeutic stem cells on TRAIL resistant and sensitive medulloblastomas

PLoS One. 2012;7(11):e49219. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049219. Epub 2012 Nov 7.

Abstract

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are emerging as novel cell-based delivery agents; however, a thorough investigation addressing their therapeutic potential in medulloblastomas (MB) has not been explored to date. In this study, we engineered human MSC to express a potent and secretable variant of a tumor specific agent, tumor necrosis factor-apoptosis-inducing ligand (S-TRAIL) and assessed the ability of MSC-S-TRAIL mediated MB killing alone or in combination with a small molecule inhibitor of histone-deacetylase, MS-275, in TRAIL-sensitive and -resistant MB in vitro and in vivo. We show that TRAIL sensitivity/resistance correlates with the expression of its cognate death receptor (DR)5 and MSC-S-TRAIL induces caspase-3 mediated apoptosis in TRAIL-sensitive MB lines. In TRAIL-resistant MB, we show upregulation of DR4/5 levels when pre-treated with MS-275 and a subsequent sensitization to MSC-S-TRAIL mediated apoptosis. Using intracranially implanted MB and MSC lines engineered with different combinations of fluorescent and bioluminescent proteins, we show that MSC-S-TRAIL has significant anti-tumor effects in mice bearing TRAIL-sensitive and MS-275 pre-treated TRAIL-resistant MBs. To our knowledge, this is the first study that explores the use of human MSC as MB-targeting therapeutic-vehicles in vivo in TRAIL-sensitive and resistant tumors, and has implications for developing effective therapies for patients with medulloblastomas.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis
  • Benzamides / pharmacology
  • Cerebellar Neoplasms / radiotherapy
  • Cerebellar Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Drug Carriers
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / radiation effects
  • Genetic Engineering
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Luminescent Proteins / analysis
  • Medulloblastoma / radiotherapy
  • Medulloblastoma / therapy*
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation*
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Pyridines / pharmacology
  • TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand / pharmacology*
  • Up-Regulation

Substances

  • Benzamides
  • Drug Carriers
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors
  • Luminescent Proteins
  • Pyridines
  • TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand
  • entinostat