Hyaluronan expression in primary and secondary brain tumors

μMESH-Enabled Sustained Delivery of Molecular and Nanoformulated Drugs for Glioblastoma Treatment

Modest tissue penetrance, nonuniform distribution, and suboptimal release of drugs limit the potential of intracranial therapies against glioblastoma. Here, a conformable polymeric implant, μMESH, is realized by intercalating a micronetwork of 3 × 5 μm poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) edges over arrays of 20 × 20 μm polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) pillars for the sustained delivery of potent chemotherapeutic molecules, docetaxel (DTXL) and paclitaxel (PTXL). Four different μMESH configurations were engineered by encapsulating DTXL or PTXL within the PLGA micronetwork and nanoformulated DTXL (nanoDTXL) or PTXL (nanoPTXL) within the PVA microlayer. All four μMESH configurations provided sustained drug release for at least 150 days. However, while a burst release of up to 80% of nanoPTXL/nanoDTXL was documented within the first 4 days, molecular DTXL and PTXL were released more slowly from μMESH. Upon incubation with U87-MG cell spheroids, DTXL-μMESH was associated with the lowest lethal drug dose, followed by nanoDTXL-μMESH, PTXL-μMESH, and nanoPTXL-μMESH. In orthotopic models of glioblastoma, μMESH was peritumorally deposited at 15 days post-cell inoculation and tumor proliferation was monitored via bioluminescence imaging. The overall animal survival increased from ∼30 days of the untreated controls to 75 days for nanoPTXL-μMESH and 90 days for PTXL-μMESH. For the DTXL groups, the overall survival could not be defined as 80% and 60% of the animals treated with DTXL-μMESH and nanoDTXL-μMESH were still alive at 90 days, respectively. These results suggest that the sustained delivery of potent drugs properly encapsulated in conformable polymeric implants could halt the proliferation of aggressive brain tumors.

A Preclinical Investigation into the Effects of Aging on Dermal Hyaluronan Properties and Reconstitution Following Recombinant Human Hyaluronidase PH20 Administration

INTRODUCTION

There is currently no consensus in the literature concerning the impact of aging on the properties of hyaluronan (HA) in the subcutaneous (SC) space. Recombinant human hyaluronidase PH20 (rHuPH20) facilitates SC administration of injected therapeutics by depolymerizing SC HA, facilitating bulk fluid flow, dispersion and absorption. This study assessed the impact of intrinsic aging on HA in the SC space and thus the ability of rHuPH20 to enhance delivery of co-administered therapeutics.

METHODS

Histologic evaluations of HA levels and degradation were performed on human skin samples from six age groups, aged from 20 to 100 years. HA levels were evaluated by HA staining and degradation by staining samples for HA following incubation with rHuPH20. HA was extracted from samples and HA size determined by gel electrophoresis. Dermal reconstitution was assessed in young (aged 1.5 months) and elderly (aged > 16 months) mice. Baseline dye dispersion was measured at 5 and 20 min post-intradermal dye injection. Following treatment with rHuPH20, dye dispersion was measured again at 2, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h.

RESULTS

Distribution of HA was confined to the interstitial space between adipocytes, with similar pericellular presence and levels of HA found across all age groups. Substantial levels of high-molecular-weight HA were observed in all age groups at baseline. Incubation with a clinically relevant dose of rHuPH20 resulted in degradation of all SC HA and similar degradation profiles independent of age. No difference in dye dispersion time was observed between young and elderly mice across the range of time points assessed, with dye dispersion returning to baseline levels by 24 h after rHuPH20 treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Subcutaneous delivery of approved therapeutics facilitated by co-administration with rHuPH20 should not be impacted by intrinsic aging, with this study providing no evidence for an effect of aging on HA distribution, structure or a loss of rHuPH20 efficacy.

Extracellular Matrix in the Tumor Microenvironment and Its Impact on Cancer Therapy

Solid tumors are complex organ-like structures that consist not only of tumor cells but also of vasculature, extracellular matrix (ECM), stromal, and immune cells. Often, this tumor microenvironment (TME) comprises the larger part of the overall tumor mass. Like the other components of the TME, the ECM in solid tumors differs significantly from that in normal organs. Intratumoral signaling, transport mechanisms, metabolisms, oxygenation, and immunogenicity are strongly affected if not controlled by the ECM. Exerting this regulatory control, the ECM does not only influence malignancy and growth of the tumor but also its response toward therapy. Understanding the particularities of the ECM in solid tumor is necessary to develop approaches to interfere with its negative effect. In this review, we will also highlight the current understanding of the physical, cellular, and molecular mechanisms by which the pathological tumor ECM affects the efficiency of radio-, chemo-, and immunotherapy. Finally, we will discuss the various strategies to target and modify the tumor ECM and how they could be utilized to improve response to therapy.

Bioengineered scaffolds for 3D culture demonstrate extracellular matrix-mediated mechanisms of chemotherapy resistance in glioblastoma

Originating in the brain, glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly lethal and virtually incurable cancer, in large part because it readily develops resistance to treatments. While numerous studies have investigated mechanisms enabling GBM cells to evade chemotherapy-induced apoptosis, few have addressed how their surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) acts to promote their survival. Here, we employed a biomaterial-based, 3D culture platform to investigate systematically how interactions between patient-derived GBM cells and the brain ECM promote resistance to alkylating chemotherapies - including temozolomide, which is used routinely in clinical practice. Scaffolds for 3D culture were fabricated from hyaluronic acid (HA) - a major structural and bioactive component of the brain ECM - and functionalized with the RGD (arginine-glycine-aspartic acid) tripeptide to provide sites for integrin engagement. Data demonstrate that cooperative engagement of CD44, through HA, and integrin αV, through RGD, facilitates resistance to alkylating chemotherapies through co-activation of Src, which inhibited downstream expression of BCL-2 family pro-apoptotic factors. In sum, a bioengineered, 3D culture platform was used to gain new mechanistic insights into how ECM in the brain tumor microenvironment promotes resistance to chemotherapy and suggests potential avenues for the development of novel, matrix-targeted combination therapies designed to suppress chemotherapy resistance in GBM.

Role of Surface Chemistry in Mediating the Uptake of Ultrasmall Iron Oxide Nanoparticles by Cancer Cells

Ultrasmall iron oxide nanoparticles (USIONPs) (<4 nm) have recently attracted significant attention because of their potential as positive T₁ magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent contrary to larger superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (>6 nm) which act as negative T₂ MRI contrast agents. However, studies on the cellular uptake behavior of these nanoparticles are very limited compared to their counterpart, larger-sized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. In particular, the effects of specific nanoparticle parameters on the cellular uptake behavior of USIONPs by various cancer cells are not available. Here, we specifically investigated the role of USIONPs' surface functionalities [tannic acid (TA) and quinic acid (QA)] in mediating cellular uptake behavior of cancer cells pertaining to primary (U87 cells) and metastatic (MDA-MB-231Br cells) brain malignancies. Here, we chose TA and QA as representative capping molecules, wherein TA coating provides a general negatively charged nontargeting surface while QA provides a tumor-targeting surface as QA and its derivatives are known to interact with selectin receptors expressed on tumor cells and tumor endothelium. We observed differential cellular uptake in the case of TA- and QA-coated USIONPs by cancer cells. Both the cell types showed significantly higher cellular uptake of QA-coated USIONPs compared to TA-coated USIONPs at 4, 24, and 72 h. Blocking studies indicated that P-selectin cell surface receptors, in part, mediated the cellular uptake of QA-coated USIONPs. Given that P-selectin is overexpressed in cancer cells, tumor microenvironment, and at the metastatic niche, QA-coated USIONPs hold potential to be utilized as a platform for tumor-targeted drug delivery and in imaging and detection of primary and metastatic tumors.

Characterization of Ablation Thresholds for 3D-Cultured Patient-Derived Glioma Stem Cells in Response to High-Frequency Irreversible Electroporation

High-frequency irreversible electroporation (H-FIRE) is a technique that uses pulsed electric fields that have been shown to ablate malignant cells. In order to evaluate the clinical potential of H-FIRE to treat glioblastoma (GBM), a primary brain tumor, we have studied the effects of high-frequency waveforms on therapy-resistant glioma stem-like cell (GSC) populations. We demonstrate that patient-derived GSCs are more susceptible to H-FIRE damage than primary normal astrocytes. This selectivity presents an opportunity for a degree of malignant cell targeting as bulk tumor cells and tumor stem cells are seen to exhibit similar lethal electric field thresholds, significantly lower than that of healthy astrocytes. However, neural stem cell (NSC) populations also exhibit a similar sensitivity to these pulses. This observation may suggest that different considerations be taken when applying these therapies in younger versus older patients, where the importance of preserving NSC populations may impose different restrictions on use. We also demonstrate variability in threshold among the three patient-derived GSC lines studied, suggesting the need for personalized cell-specific characterization in the development of potential clinical procedures. Future work may provide further useful insights regarding this patient-dependent variability observed that could inform targeted and personalized treatment.

Hyaluronic-Acid Based Hydrogels for 3-Dimensional Culture of Patient-Derived Glioblastoma Cells

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common, yet most lethal, central nervous system cancer. In recent years, many studies have focused on how the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the unique brain environment, such as hyaluronic acid (HA), facilitates GBM progression and invasion. However, most in vitro culture models include GBM cells outside of the context of an ECM. Murine xenografts of GBM cells are used commonly as well. However, in vivo models make it difficult to isolate the contributions of individual features of the complex tumor microenvironment to tumor behavior. Here, we describe an HA hydrogel-based, three-dimensional (3D) culture platform that allows researchers to independently alter HA concentration and stiffness. High molecular weight HA and polyethylene glycol (PEG) comprise hydrogels, which are crosslinked via Michael-type addition in the presence of live cells. 3D hydrogel cultures of patient-derived GBM cells exhibit viability and proliferation rates as good as, or better than, when cultured as standard gliomaspheres. The hydrogel system also enables incorporation of ECM-mimetic peptides to isolate effects of specific cell-ECM interactions. Hydrogels are optically transparent so that live cells can be imaged in 3D culture. Finally, HA hydrogel cultures are compatible with standard techniques for molecular and cellular analyses, including PCR, Western blotting and cryosectioning followed by immunofluorescence staining.

Brain-Mimetic 3D Culture Platforms Allow Investigation of Cooperative Effects of Extracellular Matrix Features on Therapeutic Resistance in Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) tumors exhibit potentially actionable genetic alterations against which targeted therapies have been effective in treatment of other cancers. However, these therapies have largely failed in GBM patients. A notable example is kinase inhibitors of EGFR, which display poor clinical efficacy despite overexpression and/or mutation of EGFR in >50% of GBM. In addressing this issue, preclinical models may be limited by the inability to accurately replicate pathophysiologic interactions of GBM cells with unique aspects of the brain extracellular matrix (ECM), which is relatively enriched in hyaluronic acid (HA) and flexible. In this study, we present a brain-mimetic biomaterial ECM platform for 3D culturing of patient-derived GBM cells, with improved pathophysiologic properties as an experimental model. Compared with orthotopic xenograft assays, the novel biomaterial cultures we developed better preserved the physiology and kinetics of acquired resistance to the EGFR inhibition than gliomasphere cultures. Orthogonal modulation of both HA content and mechanical properties of biomaterial scaffolds was required to achieve this result. Overall, our findings show how specific interactions between GBM cell receptors and scaffold components contribute significantly to resistance to the cytotoxic effects of EGFR inhibition.Significance: Three-dimensional culture scaffolds of glioblastoma provide a better physiological representation over current methods of patient-derived cell culture and xenograft models. Cancer Res; 78(5); 1358-70. ©2017 AACR.

Integrating the glioblastoma microenvironment into engineered experimental models

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most lethal cancer originating in the brain. Its high mortality rate has been attributed to therapeutic resistance and rapid, diffuse invasion - both of which are strongly influenced by the unique microenvironment. Thus, there is a need to develop new models that mimic individual microenvironmental features and are able to provide clinically relevant data. Current understanding of the effects of the microenvironment on GBM progression, established experimental models of GBM and recent developments using bioengineered microenvironments as ex vivo experimental platforms that mimic the biochemical and physical properties of GBM tumors are discussed.

Breaching the Castle Walls: Hyaluronan Depletion as a Therapeutic Approach to Cancer Therapy

Hyaluronan (HA) has many functions in the extracellular milieu of normal and diseased tissues. Disease-associated HA accumulation has been shown to predict a worsened prognosis in cancer patients, with tumors having a high-extracellular HA content (HA-high) being more aggressive than their HA-low counterparts. HA-high tumor aggressiveness is derived from the specialized biomechanical and molecular properties of the HA-based assembly of HA binding proteins and the growth-promoting factors that accumulate in it. Biophysical characteristics of an HA-high tumor microenvironment include high tumor interstitial pressure, compression of tumor vasculature, and resulting tumor hypoxia. Within the tumor cell membrane, HA receptors, primarily CD44 and RHAMM, anchor the HA-high extracellular network. HA-CD44 association on the tumor cell surface enhances receptor tyrosine kinase activity to drive tumor progression and treatment resistance. Together, malignant cells in this HA-high matrix may evolve dependency on it for growth. This yields the hypothesis that depleting HA in HA-high tumors may be associated with a therapeutic benefit. A pegylated form of recombinant human hyaluronidase PH20 (PEGPH20) has been deployed as a potential cancer therapeutic in HA-high tumors. PEGPH20 can collapse this matrix by degrading the HA-assembled tumor extracellular framework, leading to tumor growth inhibition, preferentially in HA-high tumors. Enzymatic depletion of HA by PEGPH20 results in re-expansion of the tumor vasculature, reduction in tumor hypoxia, and increased penetration of therapeutic molecules into the tumor. Finally, HA-depletion results in reduced signaling via CD44/RHAMM. Taken together, HA-depletion strategies accomplish their antitumor effects by multiple mechanisms that include targeting both biophysical and molecular signaling pathways. Ongoing clinical trials are examining the potential of PEGPH20 in combination with partner therapeutics in several cancers.