A novel bispecific immunotoxin delivered by human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells to target blood vessels and vasculogenic mimicry of malignant gliomas
Authors: Xiao Liu
Min Huang
Yonghong Zhang
Yiquan Ke
Jihui Wang
Xinlin Sun
Journal: Drug Design Development and Therapy (2015)
Discipline: PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY
Keywords: VEGF165; bispecific immunotoxin; ephrin A1; human mesenchymal stem cells; malignant glioma.
Affiliations: National Key Clinic Specialty, Neurosurgery Institute of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, Department of Neurosurgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China ; Department of Neurosurgery, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People's Republic of China., National Key Clinic Specialty, Neurosurgery Institute of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, Department of Neurosurgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.

Abstract:  Background: In previous years, immunotoxins have been shown to be a greatly promising therapeutic tool for brain malignancies, such as gliomas. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) exhibit tropism to tumor tissue. However, the effect of bispecific immunotoxins in malignant gliomas is still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the function of bispecific immunotoxins in human malignant gliomas. Materials and methods: In the present study, the bispecific immunotoxin VEGF165-ephrin A1-PE38KDEL was established using deoxyribonucleic acid shuffling and cloning techniques. The VEGF165-ephrin A1-PE38KDEL was delivered by hMSCs to mouse malignant gliomas. The effects of the bispecific immunotoxins on glioma-derived blood vessels and vasculogenic mimicry to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the antitumorigenic effects of immunotoxins were examined in vivo. Results: In vitro, transfected hMSCs significantly inhibited the cell viability of gliomas cell lines U87 and U251 in a dose-dependent manner compared with untransfected hMSCs (P&lt;0.01). In vivo, the intratumoral injection of engineered hMSCs was effective at inhibiting tumor growth in a malignant glioma tumor model. Conclusion: The bispecific immunotoxin secreted from hMSCs acts as a novel strategy for improving treatment options for malignant gliomas in the clinic. 

Retracted: Yes

PubPeer comments:
 The paper is published in Vol. 7 No. 18 (2019): Sep 30 (Global Dermatology) of the Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences . The whole issue consists of papers authored by different combinations of the same group of people. 37 of the 39 papers in this issue lists Torello Lotti as an author. 37 39 list Aleksandra Vojvodic; 36 39 list Uwe Wollina. Several of these papers have nothing to do with dermatology and or are full of similar fantastical claims. The publication of a bunch of papers, all by the same group of authors, in a supplemental issue of a journal raises the question whether these papers have been peer reviewed at all. In this particular paper, a case is described of a man who had an adverse reaction after undergoing photodynamic therapy. * Did the patient give consent to have his case and photos used in this paper? I cannot find any statement about consent. ,