Crosstalk between ß-Catenin and CCL2 Drives Migration of Monocytes towards Glioblastoma Cells.

Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-wildtype glioblastoma (GBM) is a fast growing and highly heterogeneous tumor, often characterized by the presence of glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs). The plasticity of GSCs results in therapy resistance and impairs anti-tumor immune response by influencing immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Previously, ß-catenin was associated with stemness in GBM as well as with immune escape mechanisms. Here, we investigated the effect of ß-catenin on attracting monocytes towards GBM cells. In addition, we evaluated whether CCL2 is involved in ß-catenin crosstalk between monocytes and tumor cells. Our analysis revealed that shRNA targeting ß-catenin in GBMs reduces monocytes attraction and impacts CCL2 secretion. The addition of recombinant CCL2 restores peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) migration towards medium (TCM) conditioned by shß-catenin GBM cells. CCL2 knockdown in GBM cells shows similar effects and reduces monocyte migration to a similar extent as ß-catenin knockdown. When investigating the effect of CCL2 on ß-catenin activity, we found that CCL2 modulates components of the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway and alters the clonogenicity of GBM cells. In addition, the pharmacological ß-catenin inhibitor MSAB reduces active ß-catenin, downregulates the expression of associated genes and alters CCL2 secretion. Taken together, we showed that ß-catenin plays an important role in attracting monocytes towards GBM cells in vitro. We hypothesize that the interactions between ß-catenin and CCL2 contribute to maintenance of GSCs via modulating immune cell interaction and promoting GBM growth and recurrence.

Molecular monitoring of glioblastoma's immunogenicity using a combination of Raman spectroscopy and chemometrics.

Raman spectroscopy (RS) has been used as a powerful diagnostic and non-invasive tool in cancer diagnosis as well as in discrimination of cancer and immune cells. In this study RS in combination with chemometrics was applied to cellular Raman spectral data to distinguish the phenotype of T-cells and monocytes after incubation with media conditioned by glioblastoma stem-cells (GSCs) showing different molecular background. For this purpose, genetic modulations of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process and expression of immunomodulator CD73 were introduced. Principal component analysis of the Raman spectral data showed that T-cells and monocytes incubated with tumour-conditioned media (TCMs) of GSCs with inhibited EMT activator ZEB1 or CD73 formed distinct clusters compared to controls highlighting their differences. Further discriminatory analysis performed using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and support vector machine classification (SVM), yielded sensitivities and specificities of over 70 and 67% respectively upon validation against an independent test set. Supporting those results, flow cytometric analysis was performed to test the influence of TCMs on cytokine profile of T-cells and monocytes. We found that ZEB1 and CD73 influence T-cell and monocyte phenotype and promote monocyte differentiation into a population of mixed pro- and anti-tumorigenic macrophages (MΦs) and dendritic cells (DCs) respectively. In conclusion, Raman spectroscopy in combination with chemometrics enabled tracking T-cells and monocytes.

Enzymatic Activity of CD73 Modulates Invasion of Gliomas via Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition-Like Reprogramming.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive malignant primary brain tumour in adulthood. Despite strong research efforts current treatment options have a limited impact on glioma stem-like cells (GSCs) which contribute to GBM formation, progression and chemoresistance. Invasive growth of GSCs is in part associated with epithelial-mesenchymal-like transition (EMT), a mechanism associated with CD73 in several cancers. Here, we show that CD73 regulates the EMT activator SNAIL1 and further investigate the role of enzymatic and non-enzymatic CD73 activity in GBM progression. Reduction of CD73 protein resulted in significant suppression of GSC viability, proliferation and clonogenicity, whereas CD73 enzymatic activity exhibited negative effects only on GSC invasion involving impaired downstream adenosine (ADO) signalling. Furthermore, application of phosphodiesterase inhibitor pentoxifylline, a potent immunomodulator, effectively inhibited ZEB1 and CD73 expression and significantly decreased viability, clonogenicity, and invasion of GSC in vitro cultures. Given the involvement of adenosine and A3 adenosine receptor in GSC invasion, we investigated the effect of the pharmacological inhibition of A3AR on GSC maintenance. Direct A3AR inhibition promoted apoptotic cell death and impaired the clonogenicity of GSC cultures. Taken together, our data indicate that CD73 is an exciting novel target in GBM therapy. Moreover, pharmacological interference, resulting in disturbed ADO signalling, provides new opportunities to innovate GBM therapy.

Reciprocal regulation of the cholinic phenotype and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in glioblastoma cells.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most malignant brain tumor with very limited therapeutic options. Standard multimodal treatments, including surgical resection and combined radio-chemotherapy do not target the most aggressive subtype of glioma cells, brain tumor stem cells (BTSCs). BTSCs are thought to be responsible for tumor initiation, progression, and relapse. Furthermore, they have been associated with the expression of mesenchymal features as a result of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) thereby inducing tumor dissemination and chemo resistance. Using high resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR) on GBM cell cultures we provide evidence that the expression of well-known EMT activators of the ZEB, TWIST and SNAI families and EMT target genes N-cadherin and VIMENTIN is associated with aberrant choline metabolism. The cholinic phenotype is characterized by high intracellular levels of phosphocholine and total choline derivatives and was associated with malignancy in various cancers. Both genetic and pharmacological inhibition of the cardinal choline metabolism regulator choline kinase alpha (CHKα) significantly reduces the cell viability, invasiveness, clonogenicity, and expression of EMT associated genes in GBM cells. Moreover, in some cell lines synergetic cytotoxic effects were observed when combining the standard of care chemotherapeutic temozolomide with the CHKα inhibitor V-11-0711. Taken together, specific inhibition of the enzymatic activity of CHKα is a powerful strategy to suppress EMT which opens the possibility to target chemo-resistant BTSCs through impairing their mesenchymal transdifferentiation. Moreover, the newly identified EMT-oncometabolic network may be helpful to monitor the invasive properties of glioblastomas and the success of anti-EMT therapy.

The effect of neurosphere culture conditions on the cellular metabolism of glioma cells.

Malignant gliomas, with an average survival time of 16-19 months after initial diagnosis, account for one of the most lethal tumours overall. Current standards in patient care provide only unsatisfying strategies in diagnostic and treatment for high-grade gliomas. Here we describe metabolic phenomena in the choline and glycine network associated with stem cell culture conditions in the classical glioma cell line U87. Using high-resolution proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of cell culture metabolic extracts we compare the metabolic composition of U87 chronically propagated as adherent culture in medium supplemented with serum to serum-free neurosphere growth. We found that the switch to neurosphere growth, besides the increase of cells expressing the putative glioma stem cell marker CD133, modulated a number of intracellular metabolites including choline, creatine, glycine, and myo-inositol that have been previously reported as potential diagnostic markers in various tumours. These findings highlight the critical influence of culture conditions on glioma cell metabolism, and therefore particular caution should be drawn to the use of in vitro system research in order to investigate cancer metabolism.

Characterization of a setup to test the impact of high-amplitude pressure waves on living cells.

The impact of pressure waves on cells may provide several possible applications in biology and medicine including the direct killing of tumors, drug delivery or gene transfection. In this study we characterize the physical properties of mechanical pressure waves generated by a nanosecond laser pulse in a setup with well-defined cell culture conditions. To systematically characterize the system on the relevant length and time scales (micrometers and nanoseconds) we use photon Doppler velocimetry (PDV) and obtain velocity profiles of the cell culture vessel at the passage of the pressure wave. These profiles serve as input for numerical pressure wave simulations that help to further quantify the pressure conditions on the cellular length scale. On the biological level we demonstrate killing of glioblastoma cells and quantify experimentally the pressure threshold for cell destruction.

Clinical neurotransplantation protocol for Huntington's and Parkinson's disease.

PURPOSE: The concept of transplantation of neuronal cells to treat Huntington's and Parkinson's diseases is based on the proven principle that dopaminergic and GABA-ergic progenitor neurons (from the human developing ventral mesencephalon and whole ganglionic eminence) can survive, differentiate and functionally integrate into an allogenic host brain. However, several donor and host-specific variables play a major role in the safety and outcome of this procedure. In this paper, we seek to summarize an updated neural transplantation protocol, based on our institutional experience and many years of collaboration with other neurotransplantation centers. METHODS: We present a detailed clinical neurotransplantation protocol for Parkinson's (PD) and Huntington's (HD) diseases with special emphasis in understanding the anatomical relationships of the human fetal tissue that are relevant for selection of the desired cell populations. RESULTS: Two detailed step-wise neurotransplantation protocols are presented, outlining strategies facilitating the avoidance of possible procedure-related complications. CONCLUSIONS: In this paper we delineated some crucial technical factors enabling the execution of a safe and effective neural transplantation. The protocols presented here might contribute to further development of the experimental clinical neurotransplantation towards a routine therapeutic procedure.

CD133/CD15 defines distinct cell subpopulations with differential in vitro clonogenic activity and stem cell-related gene expression profile in in vitro propagated glioblastoma multiforme-derived cell line with a PNET-like component.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), as many other solid tumours, contains a subpopulation of cells termed cancer stem-like cells responsible for the initiation and propagation of tumour growth. However, a unique immunophenotype/surface antigen composition for the clear identification of brain tumour stem cells (BTSC) has not yet been found. Here we report a novel code of cell surface markers for the identification of different cell subpopulations in neurospheres derived from a GBM with a primitive neuroectodermal tumour (PNET)-like component (GBM-PNET). These subgroups differ in their CD133/CD15 expression pattern and resemble cells with different stem-like genotype and developmental pathway activation levels. Strikingly, clonogenic analysis of cultures differentially expressing the investigated markers enabled the identification of distinct subpopulations of cells endowed with stem cell characteristics. High clonogenicity could be found in CD133(-)/CD15(-) and CD133(+)/CD15(+) but not in CD133(-)/CD15(+) cells. Moreover, cell subpopulations with pronounced clonogenic growth were characterized by high expression of stem cell-related genes. Interestingly, these observations were unique for GBM-PNET and differed from ordinary GBM cultures derived from tumours lacking a PNET component. This work elucidates the complex molecular heterogeneity of in vitro propagated glioblastoma-derived cells and potentially contributes to the development of novel diagnostic modalities aiming at the identification of the brain tumour stem-like cell population in a subgroup of GBMs.

Resistance to hypoxia-induced, BNIP3-mediated cell death contributes to an increase in a CD133-positive cell population in human glioblastomas in vitro.

In addition to intrinsic regulatory mechanisms, brain tumor stemlike cells (BTSCs), a small subpopulation of malignant glial tumor-derived cells, are influenced by environmental factors. Previous reports showed that lowering oxygen tension induced an increase of BTSCs expressing CD133 and other stem cell-related genes and more pronounced clonogenic capacity in vitro. We investigated the mechanisms responsible for hypoxia-dependent induction of CD133-positive BTSCs in glioblastomas. We confirmed that cultures exposed to lowered oxygen levels showed a severalfold increase of CD133-positive BTSCs. Both the increase of CD133-positive cells and deceleration of the growth kinetics were reversible after transfer to normoxic conditions. Exposure to hypoxia induced BNIP3 (BCL2/adenovirus E1B 19-kDa protein-interacting protein 3)-dependent apoptosis preferentially in CD133-negative cells. In contrast, CD133-positive cells proved to be more resistant to hypoxia-induced programmed cell death. Application of the demethylating agent 5'-azacitidine resulted in an increase of BNIP3 expression levels in CD133-positive cells. Thus, epigenetic modifications led to their better survival in lowered oxygen tension. Moreover, the, hypoxia-induced increase of CD133-positive cells was inhibited after 5'-azacitidine treatment. These results suggest the possible efficacy of a novel therapy for glioblastoma focused on eradication of BTSCs by modifications of epigenetic regulation of gene expression.

Activation of canonical WNT/ß-catenin signaling enhances in vitro motility of glioblastoma cells by activation of ZEB1 and other activators of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.

Here we show that activation of the canonical WNT/ß-catenin pathway increases the expression of stem cell genes and promotes the migratory and invasive capacity of glioblastoma. Modulation of WNT signaling alters the expression of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition activators, suggesting a role of this process in the regulation of glioma motility. Using immunohistochemistry in patient-derived glioblastoma samples we showed higher numbers of cells with intranuclear signal for ß-catenin in the infiltrating edge of tumor compared to central tumor parenchyma. These findings suggest that canonical WNT/ß-catenin pathway is a critical regulator of GBM invasion and may represent a potential therapeutic target.

Restricted spontaneous in vitro differentiation and region-specific migration of long-term expanded fetal human neural precursor cells after transplantation into the adult rat brain.

Human fetal neural stem/progenitor cells (hNSCs) are investigated for their potential as a cell source for cell-based therapies in neurodegenerative diseases. However, the limited availability of fetal tissue and insufficient understanding of the lineage-dependent pattern of survival, migration, and differentiation following engraftment are still unresolved issues. In the current study hNSCs derived from different brain regions were long-term expanded in vitro to yield proliferating neurospheres giving rise to neurons, astro-, and oligodendroglial cells and assessed for their potential for migration, differentiation, and anatomical integration following intracerebral grafting into rats. hNSCs isolated from neocortex, striatum, midbrain, and spinal cord (SC) proliferated following in vitro differentiation, and showed a significant decrease of newly formed neurons along the rostrocaudal axis of the developing central nervous system (CNS). Most of the mature neurons were positive for the neurotransmitter GABA. In vivo all cell types survived up to 9 weeks posttransplantation. Intrastriatally grafted hNSCs migrated extensively along white matter tracts reaching both rostral (forceps minor) and caudal (midbrain, cerebral peduncle) brain regions. The majority of migratory cells expressed the stem cell marker, nestin. A fraction of grafted cells acquired a neuronal phenotype expressing doublecortin, beta-III-tubulin, or GABA. These data demonstrate efficient in vitro propagation, region-specific long-term survival, long-distance migration, and neuronal differentiation of hNSCs after transplantation into the adult rat brain. The availability of a large pool of in vitro expanded nestin-positive cells offers the possibility for further ex vivo manipulations and the recruitment of different neuronal phenotypes for cell replacement strategies for CNS disorders.

Combined use of BDNF, ascorbic acid, low oxygen, and prolonged differentiation time generates tyrosine hydroxylase-expressing neurons after long-term in vitro expansion of human fetal midbrain precursor cells.

Freshly isolated fetal midbrain neural precursor cells (NPCs) that maintain the potential to differentiate into dopamine (DA) neurons represent a valuable source for cell therapy in Parkinson's disease. However, it is poorly understood why midbrain NPCs lose their dopaminergic differentiation potential after long-term culture. Here we report that human fetal midbrain NPCs can be extensively proliferated with fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and efficiently differentiated into tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive (TH-ir) neurons. We tested differentiation conditions including the use of low oxygen, ascorbic acid, and prolonged in vitro differentiation time which resulted in a 10-fold increase in the number of MAP2-positive neurons (up to 40-50% of total cells as compared to controls). Under these conditions TH-ir cells constituted 4.3+/-0.5% of the neuronal population and displayed immature morphologies. Notably, the use of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) further increased the proportion of TH-ir neurons (up to 15% of total neurons). In contrast to previous reports, our findings demonstrate that long-term expanded fetal NPCs can generate TH-expressing cells under the appropriate culture conditions and without genetic manipulations.