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Wahba A, Delpassand ES, Nunez R, Esfandiari R, Venkatramani R. Alpha-emitter therapy for pediatric relapsed metastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2024; 71:e30961. [PMID: 38556730 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.30961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Wahba
- Department of Pediatrics - Section of Hematology/Oncology, Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | | | - Rodolfo Nunez
- Excel Diagnostics and Nuclear Oncology Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | | | - Rajkumar Venkatramani
- Department of Pediatrics - Section of Hematology/Oncology, Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
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2
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Finkel DA, Malfa A, Liao Y, Purohit D, Hu F, Sulaymankhil D, Abhishek Narra S, Hussein K, Subbian S, Cairo MS, Vinukonda G, La Gamma EF. Early Postnatal Expression of Tgfβ-1 and Fgf-2 Correlates With Regenerative Functions of Unrestricted Somatic Stem Cell Infusion After Rabbit GMH-IVH. Stem Cells Transl Med 2023; 12:811-824. [PMID: 37774396 PMCID: PMC10726409 DOI: 10.1093/stcltm/szad064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is a severe complication of preterm birth associated with white matter injury (WMI) and reduced neurogenesis. IVH commonly arises from the germinal matrix, a highly cellular, transient structure, where all precursor cells are born, proliferate, and migrate during brain development. IVH leads to reduced progenitor cell proliferation and maturation and contributes to WMI. Interruption of oligodendrocyte lineage (OL) proliferation and maturation after IVH will prevent myelination. We evaluated whether unrestricted somatic stem cells (USSCs) could recover OL lineage, as USSC release multiple relevant growth factors and cytokines. The effects of USSC infusion at 24 hours after IVH were assessed in the periventricular zone by analysis of OL lineage-specific progression (PDGFR+, OLIG2+, NKX2.2+ with Ki67), and this was correlated with growth factors TGFβ1, FGF2 expression. The early OL cell lineage by immunofluorescence and cell density quantitation showed significant reduction after IVH (P < .05 both PDGFR+, OLIG2+ at day 3); with significant recovery after injection of USSCs (P < .05 both PDGFR+, OLIG2+ at day 3). CSF protein and tissue mRNA levels of TGFβ1 were reduced by IVH and recovered after USSC (P < .05 for all changes). FGF2 showed an increased mRNA after USSC on day3 (P < .05). Cell cyclin genes were unaffected except for the cycle inhibitor P27Kip1 which increased after IVH but returned to normal after USSC on day 3. Our findings demonstrated a plausible mechanism through which USSCs can aid in developmental myelination by recovery of OL proliferation and maturation along with correlative changes in growth factors during brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina A Finkel
- Department of Pediatrics, The Regional Neonatal Center, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center, Division of Newborn Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA
| | - Ana Malfa
- Department of Pediatrics, The Regional Neonatal Center, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center, Division of Newborn Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA
| | - Yanling Liao
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA
| | - Deepti Purohit
- Department of Pediatrics, The Regional Neonatal Center, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center, Division of Newborn Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA
| | - Furong Hu
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Karen Hussein
- Department of Pediatrics, The Regional Neonatal Center, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center, Division of Newborn Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA
| | - Selvakumar Subbian
- Department of Medicine, Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Mitchell S Cairo
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA
- Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA
| | - Govindaiah Vinukonda
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA
- Cell Biology & Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA
| | - Edmund F La Gamma
- Department of Pediatrics, The Regional Neonatal Center, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center, Division of Newborn Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, New York Medical College, NY, USA
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3
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Alshebremi M, Tomchuck SL, Myers JT, Kingsley DT, Eid S, Abiff M, Bonner M, Saab ST, Choi SH, Huang AYC. Functional tumor cell-intrinsic STING, not host STING, drives local and systemic antitumor immunity and therapy efficacy following cryoablation. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e006608. [PMID: 37553183 PMCID: PMC10414127 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-006608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite its potential utility in delivering direct tumor killing and in situ whole-cell tumor vaccination, tumor cryoablation produces highly variable and unpredictable clinical response, limiting its clinical utility. The mechanism(s) driving cryoablation-induced local antitumor immunity and the associated abscopal effect is not well understood. METHODS The aim of this study was to identify and explore a mechanism of action by which cryoablation enhances the therapeutic efficacy in metastatic tumor models. We used the subcutaneous mouse model of the rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) cell lines RMS 76-9STINGwt or RMS 76-9STING-/-, along with other murine tumor models, in C57BL/6 or STING-/- (TMEM173-/- ) mice to evaluate local tumor changes, lung metastasis, abscopal effect on distant tumors, and immune cell dynamics in the tumor microenvironment (TME). RESULTS The results show that cryoablation efficacy is dependent on both adaptive immunity and the STING signaling pathway. Contrary to current literature dictating an essential role of host-derived STING activation as a driver of antitumor immunity in vivo, we show that local tumor control, lung metastasis, and the abscopal effect on distant tumor are all critically dependent on a functioning tumor cell-intrinsic STING signaling pathway, which induces inflammatory chemokine and cytokine responses in the cryoablated TME. This reliance extends beyond cryoablation to include intratumoral STING agonist therapy. Additionally, surveys of gene expression databases and tissue microarrays of clinical tumor samples revealed a wide spectrum of expressions among STING-related signaling components. CONCLUSIONS Tumor cell-intrinsic STING pathway is a critical component underlying the effectiveness of cryoablation and suggests that expression of STING-related signaling components may serve as a potential therapy response biomarker. Our data also highlight an urgent need to further characterize tumor cell-intrinsic STING pathways and the associated downstream inflammatory response evoked by cryoablation and other STING-dependent therapy approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Alshebremi
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Suzanne L Tomchuck
- Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Jay T Myers
- Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Daniel T Kingsley
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Saada Eid
- Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Muta Abiff
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Melissa Bonner
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Shahrazad T Saab
- Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Sung Hee Choi
- Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Alex Yee-Chen Huang
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Center for Pediatric Immunotherapy, Angie Fowler AYA Cancer Institute, UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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4
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Pinchinat A, Levendoglu-Tugal O, Perez Y, Thatcher E, Otero N, Budhram A, Mahanti H, Morris E, Klejmont L, Schaefer E, Brudnicki A, Friedman D, Li S, Cairo MS. A pilot safety, feasibility and efficacy study of an oral anticoagulant, apixaban, in secondary prophylaxis of a primary venous thromboembolism in children and adolescents. Br J Haematol 2023; 201:e54-e57. [PMID: 37042190 DOI: 10.1111/bjh.18804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Pinchinat
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | | | - Yara Perez
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Emily Thatcher
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Neida Otero
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Arvind Budhram
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Harshini Mahanti
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Erin Morris
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Liana Klejmont
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Edo Schaefer
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Adele Brudnicki
- Department of Radiology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Deborah Friedman
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Simon Li
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Mitchell S Cairo
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
- Department of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
- Department of Pathology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
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5
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Zhang K, Horikoshi N, Li S, Powers AS, Hameedi MA, Pintilie GD, Chae HD, Khan YA, Suomivuori CM, Dror RO, Sakamoto KM, Chiu W, Wakatsuki S. Cryo-EM, Protein Engineering, and Simulation Enable the Development of Peptide Therapeutics against Acute Myeloid Leukemia. ACS Cent Sci 2022; 8:214-222. [PMID: 35233453 PMCID: PMC8875425 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.1c01090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has emerged as a viable structural tool for molecular therapeutics development against human diseases. However, it remains a challenge to determine structures of proteins that are flexible and smaller than 30 kDa. The 11 kDa KIX domain of CREB-binding protein (CBP), a potential therapeutic target for acute myeloid leukemia and other cancers, is a protein which has defied structure-based inhibitor design. Here, we develop an experimental approach to overcome the size limitation by engineering a protein double-shell to sandwich the KIX domain between apoferritin as the inner shell and maltose-binding protein as the outer shell. To assist homogeneous orientations of the target, disulfide bonds are introduced at the target-apoferritin interface, resulting in a cryo-EM structure at 2.6 Å resolution. We used molecular dynamics simulations to design peptides that block the interaction of the KIX domain of CBP with the intrinsically disordered pKID domain of CREB. The double-shell design allows for fluorescence polarization assays confirming the binding between the KIX domain in the double-shell and these interacting peptides. Further cryo-EM analysis reveals a helix-helix interaction between a single KIX helix and the best peptide, providing a possible strategy for developments of next-generation inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiming Zhang
- MOE
Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics and Division of Life Sciences
and Medicine, University of Science and
Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
- Department
of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Naoki Horikoshi
- Life
Science Center for Survival Dynamics, University
of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
- Department
of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Shanshan Li
- MOE
Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics and Division of Life Sciences
and Medicine, University of Science and
Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
- Department
of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Alexander S. Powers
- Department
of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department
of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Mikhail A. Hameedi
- Department
of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Biosciences
Division, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo
Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Grigore D. Pintilie
- Department
of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Hee-Don Chae
- Department
of Pediatrics, Stanford University School
of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Yousuf A. Khan
- Department
of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department
of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford
University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Carl-Mikael Suomivuori
- Department
of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Ron O. Dror
- Department
of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Kathleen M. Sakamoto
- Department
of Pediatrics, Stanford University School
of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Wah Chiu
- Department
of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- CryoEM
and Bioimaging Division, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource,
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford
University, Menlo
Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Soichi Wakatsuki
- Department
of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Biosciences
Division, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo
Park, California 94025, United States
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6
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Ayyadurai VAS, Deonikar P, McLure KG, Sakamoto KM. Molecular Systems Architecture of Interactome in the Acute Myeloid Leukemia Microenvironment. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:756. [PMID: 35159023 PMCID: PMC8833542 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14030756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A molecular systems architecture is presented for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) to provide a framework for organizing the complexity of biomolecular interactions. AML is a multifactorial disease resulting from impaired differentiation and increased proliferation of hematopoietic precursor cells involving genetic mutations, signaling pathways related to the cancer cell genetics, and molecular interactions between the cancer cell and the tumor microenvironment, including endothelial cells, fibroblasts, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, bone marrow stromal cells, and immune cells (e.g., T-regs, T-helper 1 cells, T-helper 17 cells, T-effector cells, natural killer cells, and dendritic cells). This molecular systems architecture provides a layered understanding of intra- and inter-cellular interactions in the AML cancer cell and the cells in the stromal microenvironment. The molecular systems architecture may be utilized for target identification and the discovery of single and combination therapeutics and strategies to treat AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- V. A. Shiva Ayyadurai
- Systems Biology Group, International Center for Integrative Systems, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA;
| | - Prabhakar Deonikar
- Systems Biology Group, International Center for Integrative Systems, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA;
| | | | - Kathleen M. Sakamoto
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA;
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Li D, Bonner ER, Wierzbicki K, Panditharatna E, Huang T, Lulla R, Mueller S, Koschmann C, Nazarian J, Saratsis AM. Standardization of the liquid biopsy for pediatric diffuse midline glioma using ddPCR. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5098. [PMID: 33658570 PMCID: PMC7930089 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84513-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is a highly morbid pediatric brain tumor. Up to 80% of DMGs harbor mutations in histone H3-encoding genes, associated with poor prognosis. We previously showed the feasibility of detecting H3 mutations in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the liquid biome of children diagnosed with DMG. However, detection of low levels of ctDNA is highly dependent on platform sensitivity and sample type. To address this, we optimized ctDNA detection sensitivity and specificity across two commonly used digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) platforms (RainDance and BioRad), and validated methods for detecting H3F3A c.83A > T (H3.3K27M) mutations in DMG CSF, plasma, and primary tumor specimens across three different institutions. DNA was extracted from H3.3K27M mutant and H3 wildtype (H3WT) specimens, including H3.3K27M tumor tissue (n = 4), CSF (n = 6), plasma (n = 4), and human primary pediatric glioma cells (H3.3K27M, n = 2; H3WT, n = 1). ctDNA detection was enhanced via PCR pre-amplification and use of distinct custom primers and fluorescent LNA probes for c.83 A > T H3F3A mutation detection. Mutation allelic frequency (MAF) was determined and validated through parallel analysis of matched H3.3K27M tissue specimens (n = 3). We determined technical nuances between ddPCR instruments, and optimized sample preparation and sequencing protocols for H3.3K27M mutation detection and quantification. We observed 100% sensitivity and specificity for mutation detection in matched DMG tissue and CSF across assays, platforms and institutions. ctDNA is reliably and reproducibly detected in the liquid biome using ddPCR, representing a clinically feasible, reproducible, and minimally invasive approach for DMG diagnosis, molecular subtyping and therapeutic monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daphne Li
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Erin R Bonner
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
- The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Kyle Wierzbicki
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Tina Huang
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Rishi Lulla
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Brown Alpert Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Sabine Mueller
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Carl Koschmann
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Javad Nazarian
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
- The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA.
- Department of Oncology, Children's Research Center, Diffuse Midline Glioma (DMG) Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
- The Brain Tumor Institute, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Amanda M Saratsis
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, 225 E Chicago Ave Box 28, Chicago, IL, 60614, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
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8
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Rockne RC, Adhikarla V, Tsaturyan L, Li Z, Masihi MB, Aboody KS, Barish ME, Gutova M. Long-term stability and computational analysis of migration patterns of L-MYC immortalized neural stem cells in the brain. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0199967. [PMID: 30071048 PMCID: PMC6071994 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Preclinical studies indicate that neural stem cells (NSCs) can limit or reverse central nervous system (CNS) damage through delivery of therapeutic agents for cell regeneration. Clinical translation of cell-based therapies raises concerns about long-term stability, differentiation and fate, and absence of tumorigenicity of these cells, as well as manufacturing time required to produce therapeutic cells in quantities sufficient for clinical use. Allogeneic NSC lines are in growing demand due to challenges inherent in using autologous stem cells, including production costs that limit availability to patients. Methods/Principal findings We demonstrate the long-term stability of L-MYC immortalized human NSCs (LM-NSC008) cells in vivo, including engraftment, migration, and absence of tumorigenicity in mouse brains for up to nine months. We also examined the distributions of engrafted LM-NSC008 cells within brain, and present computational techniques to analyze NSC migration characteristics in relation to intrinsic brain structures. Conclusions/Significance This computational analysis of NSC distributions following implantation provides proof-of-concept for the development of computational models that can be used clinically to predict NSC migration paths in patients. Previously, models of preferential migration of malignant tumor cells along white matter tracts have been used to predict their final distributions. We suggest that quantitative measures of tissue orientation and white matter tracts determined from MR images can be used in a diffusion tensor imaging tractography-like approach to describe the most likely migration routes and final distributions of NSCs administered in a clinical setting. Such a model could be very useful in choosing the optimal anatomical locations for NSC administration to patients to achieve maximum therapeutic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell C. Rockne
- Department of Information Sciences, Division of Mathematical Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
| | - Vikram Adhikarla
- Department of Information Sciences, Division of Mathematical Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
| | - Lusine Tsaturyan
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
| | - Zhongqi Li
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
| | - Meher B. Masihi
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
| | - Karen S. Aboody
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
| | - Michael E. Barish
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
| | - Margarita Gutova
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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