Abstract
Stem cell therapy may present an effective treatment for metastatic brain cancer and glioblastoma. Here we posit the critical role of a leaky blood-brain barrier (BBB) as a key element for the development of brain metastases, specifically melanoma. By reviewing the immunological and inflammatory responses associated with BBB damage secondary to tumoral activity, we identify the involvement of this pathological process in the growth and formation of metastatic brain cancers. Likewise, we evaluate the hypothesis of regenerating impaired endothelial cells of the BBB and alleviating the damaged neurovascular unit to attenuate brain metastasis, using the endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) phenotype of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Specifically, there is a need to evaluate the efficacy for stem cell therapy to repair disruptions in the BBB and reduce inflammation in the brain, thereby causing attenuation of metastatic brain cancers. To establish the viability of stem cell therapy for the prevention and treatment of metastatic brain tumors, it is crucial to demonstrate BBB repair through augmentation of vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. BBB disruption is strongly linked to metastatic melanoma, worsens neuroinflammation during metastasis, and negatively influences the prognosis of metastatic brain cancer. Using stem cell therapy to interrupt inflammation secondary to this leaky BBB represents a paradigm-shifting approach for brain cancer treatment. In this review article, we critically assess the advantages and disadvantages of using stem cell therapy for brain metastases and glioblastoma.
Highlights
Limited evidence exists on treatments aimed at repairing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in metastatic brain cancers
While the combination of chemotherapy and stem cell therapy is hopeful as a treatment for cancer, there is conflicting literature at this time to unequivocally predict its efficacy in humans, as it can be dependent on type of chemotherapy, type of stem cells, and type of cancer (Somlo et al, 1994; VanderWalde et al, 2012; Qian et al, 2017)
Risk factors that should be taken into account include patients that have received a doxorubicin treatment and breast cancer that has metastasized to the liver or lungs (Somlo et al, 1994)
Summary
Nadia Sadanandan1†, Alex Shear2†, Beverly Brooks3†, Madeline Saft, Dorothy Anne Galang Cabantan, Chase Kingsbury, Henry Zhang, Stefan Anthony, Zhen-Jie Wang, Felipe Esparza Salazar, Alma R. Stem cell therapy may present an effective treatment for metastatic brain cancer and glioblastoma. By reviewing the immunological and inflammatory responses associated with BBB damage secondary to tumoral activity, we identify the involvement of this pathological process in the growth and formation of metastatic brain cancers. There is a need to evaluate the efficacy for stem cell therapy to repair disruptions in the BBB and reduce inflammation in the brain, thereby causing attenuation of metastatic brain cancers. To establish the viability of stem cell therapy for the prevention and treatment of metastatic brain tumors, it is crucial to demonstrate BBB repair through augmentation of vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. Using stem cell therapy to interrupt inflammation secondary to this leaky BBB represents a paradigmshifting approach for brain cancer treatment. We critically assess the advantages and disadvantages of using stem cell therapy for brain metastases and glioblastoma
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