A team of researchers from across the globe have worked together to prove that mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) can enhance the effects of radiotherapy in the treatment of cancer. Lead by researchers from the University of Granada (UGR), the scientists demonstrated discovered that the technique helped treat tumours and the tumour cells located at a distance from the site of irradiation.

The breakthrough was published in the scientific journal Oncotarget this month. The findings may lead to more effective use of radiotherapy and may make radiotherapy effective at treating systemic forms of cancer. 

MSCs are widely found throughout the body, in the umbilical cord blood and cord tissue, skin, muscle tissue, bone marrow and adipose tissue. They are multipotent stem cells — capable of differentiating into a number of types of cells. Most mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into cartilage cells (dendrites), bone cells (osteoblasts) or fat cells (adipocytes).

The scientists involved in the research came from a number of universities and research centres including the University Hospital San Cecilio (Granada), the Centre of Biomedical Research (UGR), the University of Heidelberg (Germany) and the Institute of Parasitology and Biomedicine (CSIC).

They looked at how mesenchymal stem cells react when the cells near them are exposed to radiation. They discovered that the MSCs would push themselves into irradiated tumour cells just after radiotherapy was used. The tumour cells that would break off would now contain MSC passengers.

Dr José Mariano Ruiz de Almodóvar from the Department of Radiology and Physic Medicine (UGR) explains: “MSCs have a huge potential for the treatment of cancer, given that they are capable of burying themselves in a tumour and, when pre-activated or directly activated by in vivo radiation, release cytokines and tumour suppressor proteins which significantly improve the control mechanisms the ionising radiation exerts on tumours.”

The scientists performed tests on mice to determine how the mesenchymal stem cells worked once radiation was used. They saw the growth of rate of tumours decrease and an increase in the neoplastic cell’s death rate. This finding could dramatically improve the effectiveness of radiotherapy in the future.

Source: New Treatment for Cancer: Combining Radiotherapy & Stem Cell Therapy

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