Mesenchymal Stem Cells: An Emerging Tool for Cancer Targeting and Therapy

Abstract

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from post-natal bone marrow possess tremendous potential for cell-mediated gene therapy in several disease processes, and recent reports have broadened the spectrum for therapeutic applications to cancer therapy. The evidence that sites of active tumorigenesis favor the homing of exogenous MSCs have support the rationale for developing engineered MSCs as a tool to track malignant tissues and deliver anticancer agents within the tumor microenvironment. Several reports have proven the efficiency of MSCs as cell carrier for in vivo delivery of various clinically relevant anticancer factors, including cytokines, interferon, pro-drugs or replicative adenovirus, and tumor growth inhibition following engraftment within or in the vicinity of tumor. The enthusiasm for MSCs is further reinforced by the striking observation that unmodified MSCs can exert antitumorigenic activity, and preliminary reports in immunocompetent animals have provided encouraging results for the use of MSCs in cancer immunotherapy. This review highlights recent works and potential clinical applications of MSCs in this field.

Antitumor activity of placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells producing pigment epithelium-derived factor in a mouse melanoma model

“…Recently, MSCs have been used as a new therapeutic strategy for the targeted delivery and local production of biological agents in tumors to improve the efficacy and minimize the toxicity. This is because MSCs have tumor-targeting properties, can be easily isolated and expanded to the numbers required for use, and can be genetically manipulated with viral vectors (8). Adult bone marrow (BM) is the common source of MSCs used in clinical settings.…”

“…Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which have the potential to differentiate along osteogenic, adipogenic and chondrogenic lineages, were described as novel and efficient therapeutic tools for the targeted delivery and local production of biological agents in tumors (8). The most significant source of mesenchymal stem cells is currently bone marrow.…”

Viruses, gene therapy and stem cells for the treatment of human glioma

“…74 There is evidence that active tumor sites attract exogenous MSCs rendering them attractive as delivery vehicles for various anticancer factors, including cytokines, pro-drugs and replicative adenovirus. 75 MSCs can be derived from bone marrow and they consist of multi-potent stem cells that are capable of differentiating into both mesenchymal and non-mesenchymal lineages. Recent evidence points to the existence of stem cell stores in adult tissues, in addition to the well-known hematopoietic stem cells from bone marrow.…”

Positive selection of gene-modified cells increases the efficacy of pancreatic cancer suicide gene therapy

“…This suicide gene therapy has shown therapeutic efficacy in preclinical studies (5), but poor gene transfer efficiency has limited clinical efficacy (6). Better delivery vectors (3) or cell carriers (7,8) may allow the transfer of enough suicide genes to eliminate all tumor cells. A new approach to improve suicide therapy efficacy is based on conferring a selective advantage to transduced cells (9,10).…”