Stem cells based therapy in high grade glioma: why the intraventricular route should be preferred?

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) migrate in response to chemokines and possess extensive tropism for experimental glioma. Antitumor effects have been reported following intracranial and intravenous administration of gene-modified MSCs. Among the different routes for cell transplant, the intraventricular (IV) approach found very little employment in comparison with intraparenchymal, intratumoral and intravenous administration protocols. Nevertheless, IV transplantation offers advantages in terms of cells viability and distribution toward target sites, opening interesting opportunities for its clinical application.

Using a rat glioma model, we investigated migratory capacity, tumor tropism, distribution and differentiation of MSCs following IV administration.

Transplanted MSCs create niches of viable cells in the subventricular zone and can be stimulated to migrate to sites of tumor infiltration. MSCs seemed not to be involved in tumor growth and angiogenesis.

We speculate that the IV route can be used to achieve a kind of reservoir of self-renewal cells, potentially active against the spread of cancer cells. Further studies are needed to shed light on MSCs distribution close to the ventricular wall, in order to define their lifespan and their capacity to migrate towards new-enhancing foci time after implantation.