Bioactive glass selectively promotes cytotoxicity towards giant cell tumor of bone derived neoplastic stromal cells and induces MAPK signalling dependent autophagy

Bioactive Materials, 2022 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioactmat.2022.02.021 · Published: February 28, 2022

Simple Explanation

This study investigates how bioactive glasses (BGs) can kill tumor cells from giant cell tumors of bone (GCTB) while sparing normal bone marrow cells. The goal is to see if BGs can be used to reduce tumor recurrence after surgery. Researchers found that BGs don't cause typical cell death (apoptosis) but instead activate specific stress pathways (MAPK) in tumor cells. This leads to changes in gene expression and a process called autophagy, which contributes to tumor cell death. The study suggests that BGs could be a promising material to kill remaining tumor cells after surgery and help regenerate bone tissue at the same time. This approach could potentially improve GCTB treatment outcomes.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

Primary cell lines isolated from tissue samples obtained from patients who underwent surgery

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
BG treatment leads to a significant decrease of cell viability in tumor cells but not in bone marrow cells.
2
BG treatment induces autophagy, which was significantly more pronounced in GCTSC compared to BMSC.
3
A subset of 15 genes was exclusively induced in GCTSC or induced significantly stronger in GCTSC compared to BMSC, suggesting a possible role in selective BG induced cytotoxicity.

Research Summary

This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the observed cell-specific effects of bioactive glasses (BGs) on giant cell tumor of bone-derived stromal cells (GCTSC) and bone marrow-derived stromal cells (BMSC). The research found that BG treatment in GCTSC leads to the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), increased expression of AP-1 transcription factors, and the induction of autophagy, without signs of apoptosis. A subset of 15 genes was exclusively or more strongly induced in GCTSC compared to BMSC. The findings suggest that BGs may be promising biomaterials for new therapeutic approaches for GCTB treatment, combining tumor recurrence reduction with enhanced BMSC-mediated bone repair.

Practical Implications

Therapeutic Potential

Bioactive glasses could be used as a local adjuvant after surgery to kill remaining tumor cells and reduce recurrence rates in GCTB.

Bone Regeneration

The osteogenic properties of bioactive glasses can be exploited to promote bone regeneration in the bone defects created by tumor resection.

Drug Development

The identified molecular mechanisms and target genes could be used for the development of new drugs for GCTB treatment.

Study Limitations

1
The precise role of the identified genes in BG induced cytotoxicity still have to be addressed.
2
The exact mechanism of MAPK activation remains to be elucidated.
3
The effectiveness of BG treatment under in vivo conditions has to be investigated in future studies.

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