Human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells expressing yeast cytosinedeaminase::uracil phosphoribosyltransferase inhibit intracerebral rat glioblastoma.

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Prodrug cancer gene therapy by mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) targeted to tumors represents an attractive tool to activate prodrugs directly within the tumor mass, thus avoiding systemic toxicity. In this study, we tested the feasibility and efficacy of human adipose tissue-derived MSCs, engineered to express the suicide gene cytosine deaminase::uracil phosphoribosyltransferase to treat intracranial rat C6 glioblastoma. Experiments were designed to simulate conditions of future clinical application for high-grade glioblastoma therapy by direct injections of therapeutic stem cells into tumor. We demonstrated that genetically modified therapeutic stem cells still have the tumor tropism when injected to a distant intracranial site and effectively inhibited glioblastoma growth after 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) therapy. Coadministration of C6 cells and therapeutic stem cells with delayed 5-FC therapy improved the survival in a therapeutic stem cell dose-dependent manner and induced complete tumor regression in a significant number of animals. Continuous intracerebroventricular delivery of 5-FC using osmotic pump reduced the dose of prodrug required for the same therapeutic effect, and along with repeated administration of therapeutic stem cells increased the survival time. Intracerebral injection of therapeutic stem cells and treatment with 5-FC did not show any detectable adverse effect

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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