上皮间充质转化促进肿瘤细胞干性获得的研究进展

上皮间充质转化是上皮细胞丢失细胞极性和细胞黏附,而获得间充质细胞迁移和侵袭特性的生物学过程.肿瘤干细胞是存在于肿瘤中具有自我更新和异质性分化能力的一小群细胞,在肿瘤的发生发展过程中起重要的作用.上皮间充质转化(EMT)与肿瘤的转移密切相关,而近几年的研究表明,EMT也可以促进肿瘤细胞获得干细胞的特性,因此使肿瘤治疗更困难,本文对EMT促肿瘤干细胞形成机制及其对临床治疗意义的研究进展作一综述.     

间充质干细胞影响肿瘤细胞增殖及其分子机理

间充质干细胞MSCs(mesenchymal stem cells)与肿瘤细胞间的相互作用是近年来肿瘤领域的研究热点之一.MSCs是一种多能干细胞,具有分化为成骨细胞、软骨细胞、脂肪细胞、纤维母细胞或肌肉细胞等多种间充质细胞的能力.MSCs在肿瘤细胞中表现出的归巢和转移能力为其成为潜在的抗肿瘤工具奠定了基础,MSCs转移到肿瘤细胞后参与重塑肿瘤微环境,并对其增殖、侵袭和转移等生物学行为产生重要影响.MSCs重塑肿瘤微环境后对肿瘤细胞的增殖究竟是促进还是抑制,相关文献报道有很大的争议.基于相关研究近况,主要综述骨髓间充质干细胞BMSCs(bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells)参与重塑肿瘤微环境对肿瘤细胞增殖的影响,并就已知的分子机理做一简要介绍.     

间充质干细胞融合在肿瘤转移中的研究进展

侵袭转移是恶性肿瘤的基本特征和重要标志,也是导致肿瘤患者死亡的主要原因。上皮-间质转化(epithelial-mesenchymal transition,EMT)是肿瘤侵袭转移的首要步骤。研究表明,细胞融合是肿瘤发生转移过程中的常见现象之一。间充质干细胞(mesenchymal stem cell,MSC)是细胞融合中广泛涉及的一种重要细胞,并通过细胞融合在肿瘤发生转移过程中发挥重要作用。本文主要综述了间充质干细胞与肿瘤细胞融合在肿瘤转移中的最新研究进展,其机制的阐明有可能为肿瘤治疗提供新的策略。     

人羊水间充质干细胞治疗肿瘤的临床研究进展

人羊水间充质干细胞(Human amniotic fluid derived mesenchymal stem cells,AF-MSCs)是一类具有高度增殖、自我更新和多项分化潜能的干细胞,即使经过多次传代其生物学特性也不会发生改变。有研究表明,AF-MSCs具有免疫原性低、不成瘤性和肿瘤细胞亲嗜性等特点,而且能够迁移到肿瘤病灶。因此,AF-MSCs作为转运载体介导药物靶向治疗肿瘤具有潜在的优势。同时,通过羊膜腔穿刺获得羊水有利于避免胚胎干细胞研究有关的伦理问题,可作为一种理想的治疗方法。本文通过回顾、总结人羊水间充质干细胞的研究进展,展望人羊水间充质干细胞治疗肿瘤的应用前景。     

肿瘤相关间充质干细胞及其靶向治疗的研究进展

间充质干细胞（MSCs）存在于许多组织中,在组织出现损伤时会迁移到受伤部位进行修复。而癌症可以被看作是"永远不会愈合的伤口",在肿瘤微环境中MSCs会被持续募集成为肿瘤微环境的一部分。最近出现了一种肿瘤相关间充质干细胞（TA-MSCs）,它可以激活肿瘤的发生,促进肿瘤的发展与转移。本文讨论了MSCs与TA-MSCs之间的关系;探讨对TA-MSCs的最新认识及其调节癌细胞生存、增殖、迁移与耐药能力。而且,讨论了把TA-MSCs作为癌症治疗上游或者下游的靶点或者用MSCs做载体来传递癌症因子将会发展为癌症治疗的新手段。     

骨髓间充质干细胞在肿瘤发生及治疗作用中的研究进展

骨髓间充质干细胞(bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, BMSCs)主要存在于骨髓中,具有多向分化和增殖的能力。BMSCs与肿瘤关系密切,除了对肿瘤具有趋向性,还可以影响肿瘤细胞的生长增殖、侵袭转移和血管生成等,在肿瘤的发生、发展过程中具有重要调节作用。同时BMSCs在肿瘤基因治疗和免疫治疗中的应用也日趋受到重视,为肿瘤治疗拓展了研究思路。本文主要就BMSCs对肿瘤发生、发展的影响,及其在肿瘤治疗中的应用进行综述。     

脐带间充质干细胞的生物学特性及旁分泌作用的研究进展

脐带是由胚胎外中胚层和/或胚胎中胚层发育而来的组织,脐带间充质干细胞是具有自我更新、多向分化以及高度增殖潜能的多功能干细胞。研究证明,脐带间充质干细胞具有以下功能：参与炎症反应,抑制炎症因子分泌并促进免疫调节;参与受损伤组织的治疗与修复使其再生并改善特定疾病症状;抑制肿瘤增殖和迁移以及促进其凋亡等。然而目前尚未明确以上功能是间充质干细胞本身发挥作用,还是其分泌的相关因子对机体修复产生作用。主要对脐带间充质干细胞的定义、来源、生物学特性、分泌功能等方面的研究进展进行了综述,旨在更好地利用间充质干细胞修复组织,以期为脐带间充质干细胞的后续研究提供参考依据。     

人脐带间充质干细胞抗肿瘤机制的研究进展

人脐带间充质干细胞(HUMSCs)是一种具有高度自我更新能力和多向分化潜能的干细胞群,具有分泌特定细胞因子、诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡、适用于基因编辑、安全性好及肿瘤趋向性等特性。有较多的研究者研究HUMSCs对肿瘤的作用,试图将HUMSCs作为肿瘤治疗的新方法。就HUMSCs抗肿瘤作用的研究进展作一综述。     

肿瘤干细胞生物学特性及其干性维持机制的研究进展

肿瘤是威胁人类健康和社会发展最为严重的疾病之一,也是全球第二大常见疾病死因。最新统计数据显示,恶性肿瘤在发达国家已取代心血管疾病成为第一大疾病死因。肿瘤的耐药、转移和复发,仍然是临床治疗中亟需解决的难题。肿瘤干细胞(tumor stem cells, TSCs)是一类具有自我更新、分化潜能、高致瘤性和高耐药性等特征的细胞亚群,能够抵抗放化疗等非特异性治疗手段,在肿瘤发生、转移、耐药和复发中发挥关键作用。肿瘤干细胞标志物、干性维持机制、微环境和代谢重编程等领域已成为了研究热点,最新研究成果为肿瘤干细胞的鉴定和靶向治疗提供了新的靶标和策略。本文对肿瘤干细胞的表面标志物(CD133和CD44等)、自我更新和上皮细胞间充质转化(epithelial mesenchymal transition, EMT)信号通路(Wnt/β-catenin和Hedgehog等)、微环境特征、代谢重编程(糖酵解和氧化磷酸化等),及其在肿瘤的起始、发展、转移和耐药中的作用进行了综述。     

Vimentin在肿瘤转移中的作用及药物研究进展

波形蛋白(vimentin)是存在于间充质细胞中的一种中间丝蛋白,近些年研究显示vimentin与肿瘤发生、转移密切相关。波形蛋白调节细胞骨架蛋白、细胞粘附分子等蛋白间的相互作用,参与肿瘤细胞和肿瘤相关内皮细胞、巨噬细胞的粘附、迁移、侵袭和细胞信号转导。其高度动态的聚合解聚间的平衡和其复杂的磷酸化形式可能是vimentin参与肿瘤转移过程及细胞-细胞间相互作用的调节机制。Vimentin在肿瘤中的功能提示,其可能是抗肿瘤转移治疗药物研究的新靶点。     

Effect of mesenchymal stem cells-derived exosomes on tumor microenvironment: Tumor progression versus tumor suppression

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells with the potential to differentiate into different cell types. Owing to their immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties, they are widely used in regenerative medicine, but they have a dual effect on cancer progression and exert both growth-stimulatory or -inhibitory effects on different cancer types. It has been proposed that these controversial effects of MSC in tumor microenvironment (TME) are mediated by their polarization to proinflammatory or anti-inflammatory phenotype. In addition, they can polarize the immune system cells that in turn influence tumor progression. One of the mechanisms involved in the TME communications is extracellular vesicles (EVs). MSCs, as one of cell populations in TME, produce a large amount of EVs that can influence tumor development. Similar to MSC, MSC-EVs can exert both anti- or protumorigenic effects. In the current study, we will investigate the current knowledge related to MSC role in cancer progression with a focus on the MSC-EV content in limiting tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. We suppose MSC-EVs can be used as safe vehicles for delivering antitumor agents to TME.     

Mesenchymal stem cells: weapons or dangers for cancer treatment?

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have attracted recent attention for their cell therapy potential, based in particular on their immunosuppressive properties, which have served as the basis for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Interestingly, MSC have been used in cell therapy strategies to deliver therapeutical genes. Cell therapy approaches taking advantages of MSC have been proposed, as MSC display a potential tropsim for tumors. However, all these strategies raise a series of questions about the safety of MSC, as MSC could enhance tumor growth and metastasis. This review summarizes recent findngs about MSC in carcinogenesis.     

Therapeutic angiogenesis using tumor cell‐conditioned medium

Stem cell‐conditioned medium (CM), which contains angiogenic factors that are secreted by stem cells, represents a potential therapy for ischemic diseases. Along with stem cells, tumor cells also secrete various angiogenic factors. Here, tumor cells as a cell source of CM for therapeutic angiogenesis was evaluated and the therapeutic efficacy of tumor cell CM in mouse hindlimb ischemia models was demonstrated. CM obtained from a human fibrosarcoma HT1080 cell line culture was compared with CM obtained from a human bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) culture. HT1080 CM contained higher concentrations of angiogenic factors compared with MSC CM, which was attributable to the higher cell density that resulted from a much faster growth rate of HT1080 cells compared with MSCs. For use in in vitro and in vivo angiogenesis studies, HT1080 CM was diluted such that HT1080 CM and MSC CM would have the same cell number basis. The two types of CMs induced the same extent of human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) proliferation in vitro. The injection of HT1080 CM into mouse ischemic limbs significantly improved capillary density and blood perfusion compared with the injection of fresh medium. Although the therapeutic outcome of HT1080 CM was similar to that of MSC CM, the preparation of CM by tumor cell line culture would be much more efficient due to the faster growth and unlimited life‐time of the tumor cell line. These data suggest the potential application of tumor cell CM as a therapeutic modality for angiogenesis and ischemic diseases. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 32:456–464, 2016     

Cell Budding from Normal Appearing Epithelia: A Predictor of Colorectal Cancer Metastasis?

Background: Colorectal carcinogenesis is believed to be a multi-stage process that originates with a localized adenoma, which linearly progresses to an intra-mucosal carcinoma, to an invasive lesion, and finally to metastatic cancer. This progression model is supported by tissue culture and animal model studies, but it is difficult to reconcile with several well-established observations, principally among these are that up to 25% of early stage (Stage I/II), node-negative colorectal cancer (CRC) develop distant metastasis, and that circulating CRC cells are undetectable in peripheral blood samples of up to 50% of patients with confirmed metastasis, but more than 30% of patients with no detectable metastasis exhibit such cells. The mechanism responsible for this diverse behavior is unknown, and there are no effective means to identify patients with pending, or who are at high risk for, developing metastatic CRC.Novel findings: Our previous studies of human breast and prostate cancer have shown that cancer invasion arises from the convergence of a tissue injury, the innate immune response to that injury, and the presence of tumor stem cells within tumor capsules at the site of the injury. Focal degeneration of a capsule due to age or disease attracts lymphocyte infiltration that degrades the degenerating capsules resulting in the formation of a focal disruption in the capsule, which selectively favors proliferating or “budding” of the underlying tumor stem cells. Our recent studies suggest that lymphocyte infiltration also triggers metastasis by disrupting the intercellular junctions and surface adhesion molecules within the proliferating cell buds causing their dissociation. Then, lymphocytes and tumor cells are conjoined through membrane fusion to form tumor-lymphocyte chimeras (TLCs) that allows the tumor stem cell to avail itself of the lymphocyte''s natural ability to migrate and breach cell barriers in order to intravasate and to travel to distant organs. Our most recent studies of human CRC have detected nearly identical focal capsule disruptions, lymphocyte infiltration, budding cells, and the formation of TLCs. Our studies have further shown that age- and type-matched node-positive and -negative CRC have a significantly different morphological and immunohistochemical profile and that the majority of lymphatic ducts with disseminated cells are located within the mucosa adjacent to morphologically normal appearing epithelial structures that express a stem cell-related marker.New hypothesis: Based on these findings and the growth patterns of budding cells revealed by double immunohistochemistry, we further hypothesize that metastatic spread is an early event of carcinogenesis and that budding cells overlying focal capsule disruptions represent invasion- and metastasis-initiating cells that follow one of four pathways to progress: (1) to undergo extensive in situ proliferation leading to the formation of tumor nests that subsequently invade the submucosa, (2) to migrate with associated lymphocytes functioning as “seeds” to grow in new sites, (3) to migrate and intravasate into pre-existing vascular structures by forming TLCs, or (4) to intravasate into vascular structures that are generated by the budding cells themselves. We also propose that only node-positive cases harbor stem cells with the potential for multi-lineage differentiation and unique surface markers that permit intravasation.     

肿瘤干细胞与表观遗传学调控

关于恶性肿瘤发生、复发与转移机制的研究由来已久,但目前的临床治疗方法依然不能克服肿瘤复发与转移的难题,肿瘤患者的生存率并未得到显著改善。近年来的研究提示肿瘤的起源、复发与转移的真正原因可能是存在于肿瘤内的极少数具有干细胞特性的细胞,即肿瘤干细胞（cancer stem cells,CSC）。与此同时,越来越多的研究表明,对于肿瘤干细胞的发生与功能维持,表观遗传学的调控机制可能发挥着极其重要的作用。该文简要综述目前肿瘤干细胞和表观遗传学相关领域的研究进展,并对肿瘤干细胞形成及发展过程中表观遗传学的调控作用及机制进行重点介绍。     

Mesenchymal stem cell secretome and regenerative therapy after cancer

Cancer treatment generally relies on tumor ablative techniques that can lead to major functional or disfiguring defects. These post-therapy impairments require the development of safe regenerative therapy strategies during cancer remission. Many current tissue repair approaches exploit paracrine (immunomodulatory, pro-angiogenic, anti-apoptotic and pro-survival effects) or restoring (functional or structural tissue repair) properties of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC). Yet, a major concern in the application of regenerative therapies during cancer remission remains the possible triggering of cancer recurrence. Tumor relapse implies the persistence of rare subsets of tumor-initiating cancer cells which can escape anti-cancer therapies and lie dormant in specific niches awaiting reactivation via unknown stimuli. Many of the components required for successful regenerative therapy (revascularization, immunosuppression, cellular homing, tissue growth promotion) are also critical for tumor progression and metastasis. While bi-directional crosstalk between tumorigenic cells (especially aggressive cancer cell lines) and MSC (including tumor stroma-resident populations) has been demonstrated in a variety of cancers, the effects of local or systemic MSC delivery for regenerative purposes on persisting cancer cells during remission remain controversial. Both pro- and anti-tumorigenic effects of MSC have been reported in the literature. Our own data using breast cancer clinical isolates have suggested that dormant-like tumor-initiating cells do not respond to MSC signals, unlike actively dividing cancer cells which benefited from the presence of supportive MSC. The secretome of MSC isolated from various tissues may partially diverge, but it includes a core of cytokines (i.e. CCL2, CCL5, IL-6, TGFβ, VEGF), which have been implicated in tumor growth and/or metastasis. This article reviews published models for studying interactions between MSC and cancer cells with a focus on the impact of MSC secretome on cancer cell activity, and discusses the implications for regenerative therapy after cancer.     

Hepatoma SK Hep-1 Cells Exhibit Characteristics of Oncogenic Mesenchymal Stem Cells with Highly Metastatic Capacity

Background

SK Hep-1 cells (SK cells) derived from a patient with liver adenocarcinoma have been considered a human hepatoma cell line with mesenchymal origin characteristics, however, SK cells do not express liver genes and exhibit liver function, thus, we hypothesized whether mesenchymal cells might contribute to human liver primary cancers. Here, we characterized SK cells and its tumourigenicity.

Methods and Principal Findings

We found that classical mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) markers were presented on SK cells, but endothelial marker CD31, hematopoietic markers CD34 and CD45 were negative. SK cells are capable of differentiate into adipocytes and osteoblasts as adipose-derived MSC (Ad-MSC) and bone marrow-derived MSC (BM-MSC) do. Importantly, a single SK cell exhibited a substantial tumourigenicity and metastatic capacity in immunodefficient mice. Metastasis not only occurred in circulating organs such as lung, liver, and kidneys, but also in muscle, outer abdomen, and skin. SK cells presented greater in vitro invasive capacity than those of Ad-MSC and BM-MSC. The xenograft cells from subcutaneous and metastatic tumors exhibited a similar tumourigenicity and metastatic capacity, and showed the same relatively homogenous population with MSC characteristics when compared to parental SK cells. SK cells could unlimitedly expand in vitro without losing MSC characteristics, its tumuorigenicity and metastatic capacity, indicating that SK cells are oncogenic MSC with enhanced self-renewal capacity. We believe that this is the first report that human MSC appear to be transformed into cancer stem cells (CSC), and that their derivatives also function as CSCs.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrate that SK cells represent a transformation mechanism of normal MSC into an enhanced self-renewal CSC with metastasis capacity, SK cells and their xenografts represent a same relative homogeneity of CSC with substantial metastatic capacity. Thus, it represents a novel mechanism of tumor initiation, development and metastasis by CSCs of non-epithelial and endothelia origin.     

Mesenchymal stem cells as all-round supporters in a normal and neoplastic microenvironment

ABSTRACT: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) represent a heterogeneous population exhibiting stem cell-like properties which are distributed almost ubiquitously among perivascular niches of various human tissues and organs. Organism requirements such as tissue damage determine interdisciplinary functions of resident MSC including self-renewal, migration and differentiation, whereby MSC support local tissue repair, angiogenesis and concomitant immunomodulating. However, growth of tumor cells and invasion also causes local tissue damage and injury which subsequently activates repair mechanisms and consequently, attracts MSC. Thereby, MSC exhibit a tissue-specific functional biodiversity which is mediated by direct cell-to-cell communication via adhesion molecule signaling and by a tightly regulated exchange of a multifactorial panel of cytokines, exosomes, and micro RNAs. Such interactions determine either tumor-promoting or tumor-inhibitory support by MSC. Moreover, fusion with necrotic/apoptotic tumor cell bodies contributes to re-program MSC into an aberrant phenotype also suggesting that tumor tissue in general represents different types of neoplastic cell populations including tumor-associated stem cell-like cells. The present work summarizes some functional characteristics and biodiversity of MSC and highlights certain controversial interactions with normal and tumorigenic cell populations, including associated modulations within the MSC microenvironment.     

Mesenchymal Stem Cell 1 (MSC1)-Based Therapy Attenuates Tumor Growth Whereas MSC2-Treatment Promotes Tumor Growth and Metastasis

Background

Currently, there are many promising clinical trials using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in cell-based therapies of numerous diseases. Increasingly, however, there is a concern over the use of MSCs because they home to tumors and can support tumor growth and metastasis. For instance, we established that MSCs in the ovarian tumor microenvironment promoted tumor growth and favored angiogenesis. In parallel studies, we also developed a new approach to induce the conventional mixed pool of MSCs into two uniform but distinct phenotypes we termed MSC1 and MSC2.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Here we tested the in vitro and in vivo stability of MSC1 and MSC2 phenotypes as well as their effects on tumor growth and spread. In vitro co-culture of MSC1 with various cancer cells diminished growth in colony forming units and tumor spheroid assays, while conventional MSCs or MSC2 co-culture had the opposite effect in these assays. Co-culture of MSC1 and cancer cells also distinctly affected their migration and invasion potential when compared to MSCs or MSC2 treated samples. The expression of bioactive molecules also differed dramatically among these samples. MSC1-based treatment of established tumors in an immune competent model attenuated tumor growth and metastasis in contrast to MSCs- and MSC2-treated animals in which tumor growth and spread was increased. Also, in contrast to these groups, MSC1-therapy led to less ascites accumulation, increased CD45+leukocytes, decreased collagen deposition, and mast cell degranulation.

Conclusion/Significance

These observations indicate that the MSC1 and MSC2 phenotypes may be convenient tools for the discovery of critical components of the tumor stroma. The continued investigation of these cells may help ensure that cell based-therapy is used safely and effectively in human disease.     

Interaction of MSC with tumor cells

Tumor development and tumor progression is not only determined by the corresponding tumor cells but also by the tumor microenvironment. This includes an orchestrated network of interacting cell types (e.g. immune cells, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and mesenchymal stroma/stem cells (MSC)) via the extracellular matrix and soluble factors such as cytokines, chemokines, growth factors and various metabolites. Cell populations of the tumor microenvironment can interact directly and indirectly with cancer cells by mutually altering properties and functions of the involved partners. Particularly, mesenchymal stroma/stem cells (MSC) play an important role during carcinogenesis exhibiting different types of intercellular communication. Accordingly, this work focusses on diverse mechanisms of interaction between MSC and cancer cells. Moreover, some functional changes and consequences for both cell types are summarized which can eventually result in the establishment of a carcinoma stem cell niche (CSCN) or the generation of new tumor cell populations by MSC-tumor cell fusion.