Abstract 5068: Treatment with regorafenib inhibits the tumor-promoting effect of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in an orthotopic nude mice model of colon cancer

Abstract

Abstract Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been reported to migrate to tumor stroma as well as injured tissue. We reported that, in an orthotopic nude mice model of colon cancer, MSCs travel to tumor stroma and differentiate into carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and then, they promote growth and metastasis of colon cancer. We also found that CAFs express platelet-derived growth factor receptor-beta (PDGFR-β), at a high level and that imatinib therapy targeting PDGFR in CAFs combined with administration of a cytotoxic drug significantly inhibits growth and metastasis of human colon cancer. A novel oral multi-kinase inhibitor, regorafenib not only inhibits oncogenic receptor tyrosine kinases such as c-KIT, RET, and B-RAF, but also inhibits stromal cells which express VEGFR1-3, TIE2, PDGFR-β, and fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1). These cell surface receptor tyrosine kinases are known to be involved in tumor neovascularization, vessel stabilization, lymphatic vessel formation as well as activation of stroma. We examined whether the effect of MSCs on tumor growth and metastasis was inhibited by regorafenib. KM12SM human colon cancer cells alone or KM12SM cells mixed with MSCs in a 1:2 ratio were transplanted into the cecal wall of nude mice. Orthotopic transplantation of KM12SM cells + MSCs, in comparison to transplantation of KM12SM cells alone, resulted in tumors of greater weight and volume, and higher rate of lymphatic metastasis. Co-injection of MSCs with tumor cells promoted tumor growth and metastasis of colon cancer by enhancing angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, and tumor cell proliferation and by inhibiting tumor cell apoptosis. When CRC tumor + MSCs bearing animals were treated with regorafenib (by oral gavage once daily at 10 mg/kg for 35 days), primary tumor size or the number of lymph node metastases were significantly decreased compared to those treated with vehicle, and reached to the level with no significant difference from KM12SM tumor cells alone. Our data suggest that targeting tumor microenvironmental signaling pathways by regorafenib influences the interaction between bone marrow-derived MSCs and tumor cells and, hence, inhibits the progressive growth of colon cancer. Citation Format: Kei Shinagawa, Yasuhiko Kitadai, Ryo Yuge, Mieko Onoyama, Shinji Tanaka, Wataru Yasui, Kazuaki Chayama. Treatment with regorafenib inhibits the tumor-promoting effect of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in an orthotopic nude mice model of colon cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 5068. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-5068