Close interactions between mesenchymal stem cells and neuroblastoma cell lines lead to tumor growth inhibition.

ABSTRACT: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have attracted much interest in oncology since they exhibit marked tropism for the tumor microenvironment and support or suppress malignant cell growth depending on the tumor model tested. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of MSCs in the control of the growth of neuroblastoma (NB), which is the second most common solid tumor in children. In vivo experiments showed that systemically administered MSCs, under our experimental conditions, did not home to tumor sites and did not affect tumor growth or survival. However, MSCs injected intratumorally in an established subcutaneous NB model reduced tumor growth through inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis of NB cells and prolonged the survival of hMSC-treated mice. The need for contac

SUBMITTER: Bianchi G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3485378 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature