Stem cell side population analysis and sorting using DyeCycle violet

Pro-inflammatory modification of cancer cells microsurroundings increases the survival rates for rats with low differentiated malignant glioma of brain

RATIONALE

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most aggressive human brain tumors. The prognosis is unfavorable with a median survival of 15 months. GBM aggressive nature is associated with a special phenotype of cancer cells that develops because of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β). The study was aimed at providing experimental justification in vivo of a possibility to suppress TGF-β production in a tumor via pro-inflammatory modification of cancer cell microenvironment, using CD45+ mononuclear cells of the red bone marrow.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The experiment used animals with transplanted C6 glioma. The animals were divided into 4 groups: (I) control (N=60); (II) group of rats (N=30) that received granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) to recruit CD45+ bone marrow mononuclear cells into their systemic circulation (G-CSF group); (III) group of rats (N=30) that received pro-inflammatory therapy to trigger systemic inflammatory reaction by injecting bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and interferon-γ (IFNγ); (IV) rats (N=30), stimulated with G-CSF, followed by pro-inflammatory therapy. Stereotaxic modeling of a brain tumor in experimental animals, as well as a combination of morphological, immunocytochemical analyses and immunosorbent assay were used.

RESULTS

TGF-β1 production in the tumor tissue resulted being inversely proportional to the intensity of proliferation processes and directly proportional to the size of necrosis areas, peaking on the 28th day of the experiment. Stimulation of experimental animals with G-CSF recruits CD45+ mononuclear stem and progenitor cells into the systemic circulation of experimental animals with C6 glioma, accompanied by intensification of microglial proliferation in the tumor and infiltration of the tumor tissue with microglial cells. Pro-inflammatory therapy against G-CSF stimulation results in polarization of microglia/macrophages population together with intensified antigen presentation, lower production of TGF-β and IL10, increased synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNFα and IL1 in the tumor lesion and adjacent brain matter, remodeling of tumor matrix and higher survival rates for the experimental animals.

CONCLUSIONS

Pro-inflammatory inflammatory modification of cancer cell microenvironment suppresses TGFβ production in a tumor and increases survival rates of the rats with transplanted poorly differentiated malignant brain glioma.

The Role of MicroRNAs in the Regulation of Gastric Cancer Stem Cells: A Meta-Analysis of the Current Status

Gastric cancer (GC) remains one of the major causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. As for other types of cancers, several limitations to the success of current therapeutic GC treatments may be due to cancer drug resistance that leads to tumor recurrence and metastasis. Increasing evidence suggests that cancer stem cells (CSCs) are among the major causative factors of cancer treatment failure. The research of molecular CSC mechanisms and the regulation of their properties have been intensively studied. To date, molecular gastric cancer stem cell (GCSC) characterization remains largely incomplete. Among the GCSC-targeting approaches to overcome tumor progression, recent studies have focused their attention on microRNA (miRNA). The miRNAs are short non-coding RNAs which play an important role in the regulation of numerous cellular processes through the modulation of their target gene expression. In this review, we summarize and discuss recent findings on the role of miRNAs in GCSC regulation. In addition, we perform a meta-analysis aimed to identify novel miRNAs involved in GCSC homeostasis.

Generation of multidrug resistant human tissues by overexpression of the ABCG2 multidrug transporter in embryonic stem cells

The ABCG2 multidrug transporter provides resistance against various endo- and xenobiotics, and protects the stem cells against toxins and stress conditions. We have shown earlier that a GFP-tagged version of ABCG2 is fully functional and may be used to follow the expression, localization and function of this transporter in living cells. In the present work we have overexpressed GFP-ABCG2, driven by a constitutive (CAG) promoter, in HUES9 human embryonic stem cells. Stem cell clones were generated to express the wild-type and a substrate-mutant (R482G) GFP-ABCG2 variant, by using the Sleeping Beauty transposon system. We found that the stable overexpression of these transgenes did not change the pluripotency and growth properties of the stem cells, nor their differentiation capacity to hepatocytes or cardiomyocytes. ABCG2 overexpression provided increased toxin resistance in the stem cells, and protected the derived cardiomyocytes against doxorubicin toxicity. These studies document the potential of a stable ABCG2 expression for engineering toxin-resistant human pluripotent stem cells and selected stem cell derived tissues.

Cell sorting in cancer research--diminishing degree of cell heterogeneity

Increasing evidence of intratumor heterogeneity and its augmentation due to selective pressure of microenvironment and recent achievements in cancer therapeutics lead to the need to investigate and track the tumor subclonal structure. Cell sorting of heterogeneous subpopulations of tumor and tumor-associated cells has been a long established strategy in cancer research. Advancement in lasers, computer technology and optics has led to a new generation of flow cytometers and cell sorters capable of high-speed processing of single cell suspensions. Over the last several years cell sorting was used in combination with molecular biological methods, imaging and proteomics to characterize primary and metastatic cancer cell populations, minimal residual disease and single tumor cells. It was the principal method for identification and characterization of cancer stem cells. Analysis of single cancer cells may improve early detection of tumors, monitoring of circulating tumor cells, evaluation of intratumor heterogeneity and chemotherapeutic treatments. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of major cell sorting applications and approaches with new prospective developments such as microfluidics and microchip technologies.

β-catenin/Tcf-signaling appears to establish the murine ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) and remains active in selected postnatal OSE cells

Background

Wnts are a family of secreted signaling molecules involved in a number of developmental processes including the establishment of cell fate, polarity and proliferation. Recent studies also implicate wnts in epithelial adult stem cell maintenance, renewal and differentiation. Wnts transduce their signal through one of three signaling pathways. The best studied, the wnt/β-catenin pathway, leads to an increase in intracellular β-catenin which acts as a co-transcription factor with members of the Tcf/Lef family. A number of wnts are expressed in the ovary, specifically in the membrana granulosa and ovarian surface epithelium (OSE). We investigated the spatio-temporal pattern of β-catenin/Tcf expression in the OSE using responsive transgenic (TopGal) mice.

Results

The generated β-galactosidase response (lacZ⁺) identified the cell population that overlies the medio-lateral surface of the indifferent gonad at embryonic day (E) 11.5. From E12.5 onwards, lacZ expression disappeared in cells covering the testis but remained with ovary development. LacZ⁺ OSE cells were present throughout embryonic and postnatal ovarian development but demonstrated an age-dependent decrease to a small proportion when animals were weaned and remained at this proportion with aging. Flow cytometric (FACS) and ovarian section analyses showed lacZ⁺ cells constitute approximately 20% of OSE in postnatal (day 1) mice which fell to 8% in 5 day-old animals while in prepubertal and adult mice this accounted for only 0.2% of OSE. Apoptosis was undetected in OSE of neonates and β-catenin/Tcf-signaling cells were proliferative in neonatal mice indicating that neither cell death nor proliferation failure was responsible for the proportion alteration. It appeared that lacZ⁺ cells give rise to lacZ^- cells and this was confirmed in cell cultures. The DNA-binding dye DyeCycle Violet was used to set up the side population (SP) assay aimed at identifying subpopulations of OSE cells with chemoresistance phenotype associated with ABCG2 transporter activity. FACS analysis revealed lacZ⁺ cells exhibit cytoprotective mechanisms as indicated by enrichment within the SP.

Conclusions

The study raises the possibility that wnt/β-catenin-signaling cells constitute a progenitor cell population and could underlie the pronounced histopathology observed for human ovarian cancer.

Isolation and applications of prostate side population cells based on dye cycle violet efflux

This unit describes methods for digestion of human prostate clinical specimens and dye cycle violet (DCV) staining for identification, isolation, and quantitation of radiolabeled dihydrotestosterone (DHT) retention of side population cells. The principle of the side population assay is based on differential efflux of DCV, a cell-membrane-permeable fluorescent dye, by cells with high ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter activity. Cells with high ABC transporter activity that efflux DCV and fall in the lower left quadrant of a flow cytograph are designated as "side population" cells. This unit emphasizes tissue digestion, DCV staining, flow settings for sorting side population cells, and quantitation of radiolabeled DHT retention.