Viability Assessment Following Anticancer Treatment Requires Single-Cell Visualization

A subset of cells within solid tumors become highly enlarged and enter a state of dormancy (sustained proliferation arrest) in response to anticancer treatment. Although dormant cancer cells might be scored as “dead” in conventional preclinical assays, they remain viable, secrete growth-promoting factors, and can give rise to progeny with stem cell-like properties. Furthermore, cancer cells exhibiting features of apoptosis (e.g., caspase-3 activation) following genotoxic stress can undergo a reversal process called anastasis and survive. Consistent with these observations, single-cell analysis of adherent cultures (solid tumor-derived cell lines with differing p53 status) has demonstrated that virtually all cells—irrespective of their size and morphology—that remain adherent to the culture dish for a long time (weeks) after treatment with anticancer agents exhibit the ability to metabolize 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl- tetrazolium bromide (MTT). The purpose of this commentary is to briefly review these findings and discuss the significance of single-cell (versus population averaged) observation methods for assessment of cancer cell viability and metabolic activity.

Roles of Polyploid/Multinucleated Giant Cancer Cells in Metastasis and Disease Relapse Following Anticancer Treatment

Tumors and tumor-derived cell lines contain polyploid giant cells with significantly elevated genomic content, often with multiple nuclei. The frequency of giant cells can increase markedly following anticancer treatment. Although giant cells enter a dormant phase and therefore do not form macroscopic colonies (aggregates of ≥50 cells) in the conventional in vitro colony formation assay, they remain viable and metabolically active. The purpose of this commentary is to underscore the potential importance of polyploid/multinucleated giant cells in metastasis and cancer recurrence following exposure to anticancer agents. We also discuss the possibility that most preclinical (cell-based and animal model) drug discovery approaches might not account for delayed responses that are associated with dormant giant cells.

Do Multiwell Plate High Throughput Assays Measure Loss of Cell Viability Following Exposure to Genotoxic Agents?

Cell-based assays in multiwell plates are widely used for radiosensitivity and chemosensitivity assessment with different mammalian cell types. Despite their relative ease of performance, such assays lack specificity as they do not distinguish between the cytostatic (reversible/sustained growth arrest) and cytotoxic (loss of viability) effects of genotoxic agents. We recently reported studies with solid tumor-derived cell lines demonstrating that radiosensitivity as measured by multiwell plate colorimetric (e.g., XTT) and fluorimetric (e.g., CellTiter-Blue) assays reflects growth arrest but not loss of viability. Herein we report similar observations with cancer cell lines expressing wild-type p53 (A549 lung carcinoma) or mutant p53 (MDA–MB-231 breast carcinoma) after treatment with the chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin. Importantly, we show that treatment of cancer cells with concentrations of cisplatin that result in 50% effect (i.e., IC₅₀) in multiwell plate assays trigger the emergence of growth-arrested cells that exhibit highly enlarged morphology, remain viable and adherent to the culture dish, and metabolize the tetrazolium salt 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) to its formazan derivative. The emergence of markedly enlarged viable cells complicates the interpretation of chemosensitivity data obtained with multiwell plate high throughput assays. Relying solely on IC₅₀ values could be misleading.

Impact of Premature Senescence on Radiosensitivity Measured by High Throughput Cell-Based Assays

In most p53 wild-type human cell types, radiosensitivity evaluated by the colony formation assay predominantly reflects stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS) and not cell death (Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18, 928). SIPS is a growth-arrested state in which the cells acquire flattened and enlarged morphology, remain viable, secrete growth-promoting factors, and can give rise to tumor-repopulating progeny. The impact of SIPS on radiosensitivity measured by short-term assays remains largely unknown. We report that in four p53 wild-type human solid tumor-derived cell lines (HCT116, SKNSH, MCF7 and A172): (i) the conventional short-term growth inhibition assay (3 days post-irradiation) generates radiosensitivity data comparable to that measured by the laborious and time-consuming colony formation assay; (ii) radiation dose-response curves obtained by multiwell plate colorimetric/fluorimetric assays are markedly skewed towards radioresistance, presumably reflecting the emergence of highly enlarged, growth-arrested and viable cells; and (iii) radiation exposure (e.g., 8 Gy) does not trigger apoptosis or loss of viability over a period of 3 days post-irradiation. Irrespective of the cell-based assay employed, caution should be exercised to avoid misinterpreting radiosensitivity data in terms of loss of viability and, hence, cell death.

Multinucleated Giant Cancer Cells Produced in Response to Ionizing Radiation Retain Viability and Replicate Their Genome

Loss of wild-type p53 function is widely accepted to be permissive for the development of multinucleated giant cells. However, whether therapy-induced multinucleation is associated with cancer cell death or survival remains controversial. Herein, we demonstrate that exposure of p53-deficient or p21^WAF1 (p21)-deficient solid tumor-derived cell lines to ionizing radiation (between 2 and 8 Gy) results in the development of multinucleated giant cells that remain adherent to the culture dish for long times post-irradiation. Somewhat surprisingly, single-cell observations revealed that virtually all multinucleated giant cells that remain adherent for the duration of the experiments (up to three weeks post-irradiation) retain viability and metabolize 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT), and the majority (>60%) exhibit DNA synthesis. We further report that treatment of multinucleated giant cells with pharmacological activators of apoptosis (e.g., sodium salicylate) triggers their demise. Our observations reinforce the notion that radiation-induced multinucleation may reflect a survival mechanism for p53/p21-deficient cancer cells. With respect to evaluating radiosensitivity, our observations underscore the importance of single-cell experimental approaches (e.g., single-cell MTT) as the creation of viable multinucleated giant cells complicates the interpretation of the experimental data obtained by commonly-used multi-well plate colorimetric assays.

The Growing Complexity of Cancer Cell Response to DNA-Damaging Agents: Caspase 3 Mediates Cell Death or Survival?

It is widely stated that wild-type p53 either mediates the activation of cell cycle checkpoints to facilitate DNA repair and promote cell survival, or orchestrates apoptotic cell death following exposure to cancer therapeutic agents. This reigning paradigm has been challenged by numerous discoveries with different human cell types, including solid tumor-derived cell lines. Thus, activation of the p53 signaling pathway by ionizing radiation and other DNA-damaging agents hinders apoptosis and triggers growth arrest (e.g., through premature senescence) in some genetic backgrounds; such growth arrested cells remain viable, secrete growth-promoting factors, and give rise to progeny with stem cell-like properties. In addition, caspase 3, which is best known for its role in the execution phase of apoptosis, has been recently reported to facilitate (rather than suppress) DNA damage-induced genomic instability and carcinogenesis. This observation is consistent with an earlier report demonstrating that caspase 3 mediates secretion of the pro-survival factor prostaglandin E₂, which in turn promotes enrichment of tumor repopulating cells. In this article, we review these and related discoveries and point out novel cancer therapeutic strategies. One of our objectives is to demonstrate the growing complexity of the DNA damage response beyond the conventional “repair and survive, or die” hypothesis.

Spontaneous γH2AX Foci in Human Solid Tumor-Derived Cell Lines in Relation to p21WAF1 and WIP1 Expression

Phosphorylation of H2AX on Ser139 (γH2AX) after exposure to ionizing radiation produces nuclear foci that are detectable by immunofluorescence microscopy. These so-called γH2AX foci have been adopted as quantitative markers for DNA double-strand breaks. High numbers of spontaneous γH2AX foci have also been reported for some human solid tumor-derived cell lines, but the molecular mechanism(s) for this response remains elusive. Here we show that cancer cells (e.g., HCT116; MCF7) that constitutively express detectable levels of p21^WAF1 (p21) exhibit low numbers of γH2AX foci (<3/nucleus), whereas p21 knockout cells (HCT116p21−/−) and constitutively low p21-expressing cells (e.g., MDA-MB-231) exhibit high numbers of foci (e.g., >50/nucleus), and that these foci are not associated with apoptosis. The majority (>95%) of cells within HCT116p21−/− and MDA-MB-231 cultures contain high levels of phosphorylated p53, which is localized in the nucleus. We further show an inverse relationship between γH2AX foci and nuclear accumulation of WIP1, an oncogenic phosphatase. Our studies suggest that: (i) p21 deficiency might provide a selective pressure for the emergence of apoptosis-resistant progeny exhibiting genomic instability, manifested as spontaneous γH2AX foci coupled with phosphorylation and nuclear accumulation of p53; and (ii) p21 might contribute to positive regulation of WIP1, resulting in dephosphorylation of γH2AX.

Immuno-PET of epithelial ovarian cancer: harnessing the potential of CA125 for non-invasive imaging

Background

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is characterized by the overexpression of cancer antigen 125 (CA125), a mucinous glycoprotein that serves as a tumor biomarker. Early diagnosis of EOC is plagued by its asymptomatic nature of progression and the limitations of currently used immunoassay techniques that detect CA125 as a shed antigen in serum samples. Presently, there is no technique available for the in vivo evaluation of CA125 expression in malignant tissues. Moreover, there could be an unexplored pathophysiological time window for the detection of CA125 in EOC, during which it is expressed on tumor cells prior to being shed into the bloodstream. A method for the in vivo evaluation of CA125 expression on ovarian neoplasms earlier along disease progression and/or recurrence can potentially contribute to better disease management. To this end, the present work utilizes an anti-CA125 monoclonal antibody (MAb) and a single-chain variable fragment (scFv) labeled with the positron-emitting radionuclide ⁶⁴Cu for preclinical molecular imaging of CA125 expression in vivo.

Methods

Anti-CA125 MAb and scFv were prepared and functionally characterized for target binding prior to being tested as radiotracers in a preclinical setting.

Results

Immunoblotting, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry revealed specific binding of CA125-targeting vectors to NIH:OVCAR-3 cells and no binding to antigen-negative SKOV3 cells. ⁶⁴Cu-labeled anti-CA125 MAb and scFv were obtained in specific activities of 296 and 122 MBq/mg, respectively. Both radioimmunoconjugate vectors demonstrated highly selective binding to NIH:OVCAR-3 cells and virtually no binding to SKOV3 cells. In vivo radiopharmacological evaluation using xenograft mouse models injected with ⁶⁴Cu-labeled anti-CA125 MAb provided a standardized uptake value (SUV) of 5.76 (29.70 %ID/g) in OVCAR3 tumors 24 h post-injection (p.i.) versus 1.80 (5.91 %ID/g) in SKOV3 tumors. ⁶⁴Cu-labeled anti-CA125 scFv provided an SUV of 0.64 (3.21 %ID/g) in OVCAR3 tumors 24 h p.i. versus 0.25 (1.49 %ID/g) in SKOV3 tumors. Results from small-animal PET imaging were confirmed by ex vivo autoradiography and immunohistochemistry.

Conclusions

Radiolabeling of anti-CA125 MAb and scFv with ⁶⁴Cu did not compromise their immunoreactivity. Both radioimmunoconjugates presented specific tumor uptake and expected biological clearance profiles. This renders them as potential immuno-PET probes for targeted in vivo molecular imaging of CA125 in EOC.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13550-014-0060-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Spatial and temporal distribution of γH2AX fluorescence in human cell cultures following synchrotron-generated X-ray microbeams: lack of correlation between persistent γH2AX foci and apoptosis

Formation of γH2AX foci (a marker of DNA double-strand breaks), rates of foci clearance and apoptosis were investigated in cultured normal human fibroblasts and p53 wild-type malignant glioma cells after exposure to high-dose synchrotron-generated microbeams. Doses up to 283 Gy were delivered using beam geometries that included a microbeam array (50 µm wide, 400 µm spacing), single microbeams (60-570 µm wide) and a broad beam (32 mm wide). The two cell types exhibited similar trends with respect to the initial formation and time-dependent clearance of γH2AX foci after irradiation. High levels of γH2AX foci persisted as late as 72 h post-irradiation in the majority of cells within cultures of both cell types. Levels of persistent foci after irradiation via the 570 µm microbeam or broad beam were higher when compared with those observed after exposure to the 60 µm microbeam or microbeam array. Despite persistence of γH2AX foci, these irradiation conditions triggered apoptosis in only a small proportion (<5%) of cells within cultures of both cell types. These results contribute to the understanding of the fundamental biological consequences of high-dose microbeam irradiations, and implicate the importance of non-apoptotic responses such as p53-mediated growth arrest (premature senescence).

Ionizing radiation-induced responses in human cells with differing TP53 status

Ionizing radiation triggers diverse responses in human cells encompassing apoptosis, necrosis, stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS), autophagy, and endopolyploidy (e.g., multinucleation). Most of these responses result in loss of colony-forming ability in the clonogenic survival assay. However, not all modes of so-called clonogenic cell "death" are necessarily advantageous for therapeutic outcome in cancer radiotherapy. For example, the crosstalk between SIPS and autophagy is considered to influence the capacity of the tumor cells to maintain a prolonged state of growth inhibition that unfortunately can be succeeded by tumor regrowth and disease recurrence. Likewise, endopolyploid giant cells are able to segregate into near diploid descendants that continue mitotic activities. Herein we review the current knowledge on the roles that the p53 and p21(WAF1) tumor suppressors play in determining the fate of human fibroblasts (normal and Li-Fraumeni syndrome) and solid tumor-derived cells after exposure to ionizing radiation. In addition, we discuss the important role of WIP1, a p53-regulated oncogene, in the temporal regulation of the DNA damage response and its contribution to p53 dynamics post-irradiation. This article highlights the complexity of the DNA damage response and provides an impetus for rethinking the nature of cancer cell resistance to therapeutic agents.

Single-cell analysis of p16(INK4a) and p21(WAF1) expression suggests distinct mechanisms of senescence in normal human and Li-Fraumeni Syndrome fibroblasts

Herein we used single-cell observation methods to gain insight into the roles of p16(INK4A) and p21(WAF1) (hereafter p16 and p21) in replicative senescence and ionizing radiation-induced accelerated senescence in human [normal, ataxia telangiectasia (AT) and Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS)] fibroblast strains. Cultures of all strains entered a state of replicative senescence at late passages, as evident from inhibition of growth, acquisition of flattened and enlarged cell morphology, and positive staining for senescence-associated beta-galactosidase. In addition, proliferating early-passage cultures of these strains exhibited accelerated senescence in response to ionizing radiation. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed the heterogeneous expression of p16 in normal and AT fibroblast strains, with the majority of the cells exhibiting undetectable levels of p16 irrespective of in vitro culture age. Importantly, replicative senescence as well as accelerated senescence triggered by ionizing radiation were accompanied by sustained nuclear accumulation of p21, but did not correlate with p16 expression in p53-proficient (normal and AT) fibroblasts. In p53-deficient (LFS) fibroblasts, on the other hand, replicative senescence and ionizing radiation-triggered accelerated senescence strongly correlated with expression of p16 but not of p21. Furthermore, senescence in LFS fibroblasts was associated with genomic instability encompassing polyploidy. Our findings are compatible with a model in which p16 serves as a backup regulator of senescence, triggering this response preferentially in the absence of wild-type p53 activity. The possibility that one of the tumor-suppressor functions of p16 may be associated with genomic instability, preventing the emergence of malignant progeny from polyploid giant cells, is also supported by these results.

Synergistic Effect of Aphidicolin and 1-β-d-arabinofuranosylcytosine on the Repair of γ-ray-induced DNA Damage in Normal Human Fibroblasts

The effects on enzymatic DNA repair of aphidicolin and 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (araC), two potent inhibitors of long-patch excision repair, were investigated in cultured human cells exposed to 60Co gamma-radiation. Using alkaline-sucrose velocity sedimentation analysis, both drugs were shown to inhibit markedly the repair of radioproducts in cultures exposed to greater than or equal to 150 Gy, indicating that a significant component of gamma-ray-induced DNA damage is operated on by a long-patch excision pathway. Moreover, while the extent of repair inhibited by aphidicolin was comparable to that suppressed by araC, combined exposure of irradiated cultures to the two drugs elicited a synergistic response. Specifically, in all three normal fibroblast strains examined, the yield of aphidicolin- or araC-detectable sites (lesions whose repair could be blocked by each drug alone) observed during the first 2 h after irradiation with 150 Gy ranged from 0.8 to 1.2 per 10(8) daltons genomic DNA, whereas the incidence of sites detected by combined exposure to the inhibitors was increased 4-fold (i.e. 3.8 per 10(8) daltons). This difference in site yield leads us to propose that simultaneous administration of aphidicolin and araC serves to block, in addition to long-patch repair, a second mode of excision repair which is refractory to each drug alone.

Ultraviolet light exposure triggers nuclear accumulation of p21(WAF1) and accelerated senescence in human normal and nucleotide excision repair-deficient fibroblast strains

Induction of the p21(WAF1) protein (hereafter called p21) following genotoxic stress is known to inhibit proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-dependent DNA repair, downregulate apoptosis, and trigger a sustained growth-arrested phenotype called accelerated senescence. Studies with immortalized human and murine cell lines have revealed that exposure to ultraviolet light (UVC; 254 nm) results in the degradation of p21 to facilitate DNA repair and promote cell survival, or may lead to apoptotic cell death. The objective of the present study was to determine whether exposure of non-transformed human fibroblast strains to relatively low fluences of UVC (i.e., fluences typically used in the clonogenic survival assay) might induce sustained nuclear accumulation of p21, leading to accelerated senescence. We have evaluated the responses of normal human fibroblast (NHF) strains and nucleotide excision repair (NER)-deficient fibroblast strains representing xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) complementation groups A and G and Cockayne syndrome (CS) complementation groups A and B. We report that exposure of NHFs to < or =15 J/m(2) of UVC, and NER-deficient fibroblasts to < or =5 J/m(2) of UVC, results in sustained nuclear accumulation of p21 and growth arrest through accelerated senescence. With each fibroblast strain examined, exposure to UVC fluences that resulted in approximately 90% loss of clonogenic potential triggered significant (>60%) accelerated senescence, but only marginal (<5%) apoptosis. We conclude that nuclear accumulation of p21 accompanied by accelerated senescence may be an integral component of the response of human fibroblasts to UVC-induced DNA damage, irrespective of their DNA repair capabilities.

A sensitive assay for the evaluation of cytotoxicity and its pharmacologic modulation in human solid tumor-derived cell lines exposed to cancer-therapeutic agents

PURPOSE

Reliable in vitro cytotoxicity assays are essential for determining the responses of human normal and cancer-derived cells to therapeutic agents and also for the identification and pre-clinical evaluation of new drugs capable of selectively augmenting the susceptibility of cancer cells to conventional therapies. The clonogenic survival assay is considered as the "gold standard" in this regard because it measures the sum of all modes of cell death, encompassing both early and late events such as delayed growth arrest. In this assay, however, the impact of cell-to-cell communication is disregarded because the cells are plated out at very low densities. In addition, here we provide evidence that human breast cancer cell lines cannot be reliably evaluated by clonogenic assays. We developed a novel long-term, High Density Survival (HDS), assay that circumvents the various intrinsic shortcomings of the conventional cytotoxicity assays.

METHODS

In the HDS assay, the cells are maintained at a high density for 24 h prior to, and for 24 h after, exposure to a DNA-damaging agent to facilitate intercellular communication. After a carefully scheduled subculturing for approximately 7 days, cultures are assessed for the extent of growth.

RESULTS

The degree of radiosensitivity and cisplatin sensitivity evaluated by the HDS assay in human cancer cells was comparable to that measured by the clonogenic assay. Pharmacological inhibitors of CaMKII and/or PI3K signaling elicited a greater degree of radiosensitization when determined by the HDS assay than the clonogenic assay. In all these experiments, there was no relationship between the degree of cytotoxicity measured by the clonogenic survival and viability assays. In the HDS assay, all seven human breast cancer cell lines that we tested exhibited a high degree of radioresistance.

CONCLUSIONS

The novel HDS assay appears to be a powerful tool for evaluating cancer cell responses to therapeutic agents under conditions which incorporate some aspects of intercellular communication.

Relationship between the radiosensitizing effect of wortmannin, DNA double-strand break rejoining, and p21WAF1 induction in human normal and tumor-derived cells

Wortmannin (WM) is a potent inhibitor of the catalytic sub-unit of DNA-PK, which is involved in one pathway of DNA double-strand break (DSB) rejoining, and of ATM, which functions upstream in the p53 signaling pathway. WM is known to be an efficient radiosensitizer in a variety of mammalian cell types, to inhibit DSB rejoining following exposure to supralethal doses (> or =30 Gy) of ionizing radiation, and to abrogate the induction of p53 at early times after radiation exposure. We report here that WM is a more effective radiosensitizer in A549 human lung carcinoma cells than in normal human fibroblasts (NHFs). In addition, WM strongly inhibits DSB rejoining in A549 cells exposed to relatively low doses (e.g., 10 Gy) of ionizing radiation, without having any detectable effect in NHFs. We further demonstrate that WM significantly potentiates the induction of p21WAF1, a p53-regulated gene that encodes for a key mediator of cell-cycle/growth arrest, when determined at late times (e.g., 24 h) after irradiation. This late WM-dependent potentiation of p21WAF1 induction following radiation exposure is observed in NHFs and in the p53 wild-type tumor cell lines A549, A172, and SKNSH, but not in the p53-deficient tumor cell lines DLD-1, HeLa, and SKNSH-E6. We conclude that: (i) inhibition of DSB rejoining by WM may be an important contributor to its radiosensitizing effect in A549 cells but not in NHFs; and (ii) radiosensitization of p53-proficient human cells by WM may in part be associated with the delayed induction of p21WAF1, which can lead to a sustained growth-arrested phenotype resembling senescence.

Assessment of chronic gamma radiosensitivity as an in vitro assay for heterozygote identification of ataxia-telangiectasia

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a rare human autosomal recessive disorder characterized by, among other symptoms, catastrophic reaction to conventional radiotherapy. A-T heterozygotes are clinically asymptomatic and their fibroblasts are intermediate in radiosensitivity between homozygotes and normals. We have attempted to identify heterozygotes by assaying for cellular hypersensitivity to chronic gamma irradiation. Cultured dermal fibroblast strains from 13 control subjects and 55 members from a large Amish pedigree segregating for A-T were assayed for loss of colony-forming ability (CFA) in response to 137Cs gamma radiation delivered at a dose rate of 0.8 cGy/min. For each strain, multiple dose-response curves were summarized in a composite D10 value (dose, in cGy, reducing colony survival to 10%). The D10's of the clinically normal controls and of those pedigree members with known A-T genotype formed a trimodal distribution, with the seven obligate heterozygotes displaying an average value (516 cGy) intermediate between that of the 10 healthy controls (797 cGy) and that of the two affected patients (154 cGy). The D10's were modeled statistically using Gaussian penetrance functions. The most parsimonious model yielded a significant difference in D10 means for heterozygotes and normal homozygotes, a significant donor age effect, but no sex effect. We compared probabilistic identification of heterozygotes based on D10 values with identification based on linkage data for two markers, THY1 and D11S144, closely linked to the A-T gene. This comparison revealed that the D10 data were appreciably less informative than the linked markers. Indeed, the extensive overlap between D10 values for heterozygotes and normal homozygotes precludes the use of postirradiation CFA for either accurate identification of heterozygotes or chromosomal mapping of the A-T gene.