Modulation of gold nanoparticle mediated radiation dose enhancement through synchronization of breast tumor cell population.

OBJECTIVE: The incorporation of high atomic number materials such as gold nanoparticles (GNPs) into tumor cells is being tested to enhance the local radiotherapy (RT) dose. It is also known that the radiosensitivity of tumor cells depends on the phase of their cell cycle. Triple combination of GNPs, phase of tumor cell population, and RT for improved outcomes in cancer treatment. METHODS: We used a double-thymidine block method for synchronization of the tumor cell population. GNPs of diameters 17 and 46 nm were used to capture the size dependent effects. A radiation dose of 2 Gy with 6 MV linear accelerator was used to assess the efficacy of this proposed combined treatment. A triple negative breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231 was chosen as the model cell line. Monte Carlo (MC) calculations were done to predict the GNP-mediated cell death using the experimental GNP uptake data. RESULTS: There was a 1.5- and 2- fold increase in uptake of 17 and 46 nm GNPs in the synchronized cell population, respectively. A radiation dose of 2 Gy with clinically relevant 6 MV photons resulted in a 62 and 38 % enhancement in cell death in the synchronized cell population with the incorporation of 17 and 46 nm GNPs, respectively. MC data supported the experimental data, but to a lesser extent. CONCLUSION: A triple combination of GNPs, cell cycle synchronization, and RT could pave the way to enhance the local radiation dose while minimizing side effects to the surrounding healthy tissue. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: This is the first study to show that the combined use of GNPs, phase of tumor cell population, and RT could enhance tumor cell death.

RIPK1/RIPK3 promotes vascular permeability to allow tumor cell extravasation independent of its necroptotic function.

Necroptosis is an inflammatory form of programmed cell death requiring receptor-interacting protein kinase 1, 3 (RIPK1, RIPK3) and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL). The kinase of RIPK3 phosphorylates MLKL causing MLKL to form a pore-like structure, allowing intracellular contents to release and cell death to occur. Alternatively, RIPK1 and RIPK3 have been shown to regulate cytokine production directly influencing inflammatory immune infiltrates. Recent data suggest that necroptosis may contribute to the malignant transformation of tumor cells in vivo and we asked whether necroptosis may have a role in the tumor microenvironment altering the ability of the tumor to grow or metastasize. To determine if necroptosis in the tumor microenvironment could promote inflammation alone or by initiating necroptosis and thereby influencing growth or metastasis of tumors, we utilized a syngeneic tumor model of metastasis. Loss of RIPK3 in the tumor microenvironment reduced the number of tumor nodules in the lung by 46%. Loss of the kinase activity in RIPK1, a member of the necrosome also reduced tumor nodules in the lung by 38%. However, the loss of kinase activity in RIPK3 or the loss of MLKL only marginally altered the ability of tumor cells to form in the lung. Using bone marrow chimeras, the decrease in tumor nodules in the Ripk3-/- appeared to be due to the stromal compartment rather than the hematopoietic compartment. Transmigration assays showed decreased ability of tumor cells to transmigrate through the vascular endothelial layer, which correlated with decreased permeability in the Ripk3-/- mice after tumor injection. In response to permeability factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor, RIPK3 null endothelial cells showed decreased p38/HSP27 activation. Taken together, our results suggest an alternative function for RIPK1/RIPK3 in vascular permeability leading to decreased number of metastasis.

Epigenetic Activation of Pro-angiogenic Signaling Pathways in Human Endothelial Progenitors Increases Vasculogenesis.

Human endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) represent a promising source of adult stem cells for vascular repair, yet their regenerative capacity is limited. Here, we set out to understand the molecular mechanism restricting the repair function of ECFCs. We found that key pro-angiogenic pathways are repressed in ECFCs due to the presence of bivalent (H3K27me3/H3K4me3) epigenetic marks, which decreases the cells' regenerative potential. Importantly, ex vivo treatment with a combination of epigenetic drugs that resolves bivalent marks toward the transcriptionally active H3K4me3 state leads to the simultaneous activation of multiple pro-angiogenic signaling pathways (VEGFR, CXCR4, WNT, NOTCH, SHH). This in turn results in improved capacity of ECFCs to form capillary-like networks in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, restoration of perfusion is accelerated upon transplantation of drug-treated ECFCs in a model of hindlimb ischemia. Thus, ex vivo treatment with epigenetic drugs increases the vascular repair properties of ECFCs through transient activation of pro-angiogenic signaling pathways.