Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Exhibit a Transdifferentiation and Therapeutic Effects in a Murine Model of Orthotopic Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background and Aim: Bone marrow stem cells can differentiate into mature hepatocytes in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, recent study shown bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are the most potent component in hepatic differentiation, suggesting that the transplantation of MSCs is a promising treatment for liver disease. However, little information is available about the therapeutic potential of MSCs transplantation in cases of hepatic cell carcinoma (HCC). Here, we transplanted bone marrow-derived MSCs to testify their effects in a murine model of orthotopic HCC.

Methods:MSCs were obtained from tow male strains of β-galactosidase (β-gal) transgenic mouse(Rosa 26) and BALB/c mouse. MSCs were injected into tumor in BALB/c femal murine models of orthotopic HCC. Tumor growths were assessed by MRI on 7 days and survival rates were observed. When mouse was dying, the liver was removed from each treated mouse and evaluated by x-gal staining, and immunohistochemisty as well.

Results: MSCs transplantation increased the survival of hepatocellular carcinoma-bearing mice(25.5±4.5days verus 21.3±1.7days, p=0.025) and decreased tumor diameter slightly (7.7±2.9mm versus 9.4±2.8mm, p=0.284). MSCs transplanted directly into the tumor and/ or normal hepatic parenchyma in the same liver lobe localized mainly at the border between the tumor cells and normal liver parenchyma, induced a large area of coagulative necrosis in the tumor bed. Some engrafted MSCs were positive for albumin. There are in the carcinoma bearing BALB/c mice with MSCs implanted, whether MSCs from BALB/c mice or from Rosa 26 transgenic mice.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that the therapeutical effects of MSCs might be mediated not only by their differentiation into hepatocyte, but also mainly by they possess intrinsic antineoplastic properties.