Chemotherapy Promotes Mesenchymal Stem Cells Homing by Enhancing Cytokine Receptors Expression on Tumor Cells

Objective  To investigate the mechanism of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) homing to damage tissues caused by chemotherapy.

Methods  The IC₂₀ and IC₅₀ of chemotherapy were detected by CCK-8 assay. The MSCs migration driven by tumor cells treated with IC₂₀ or IC₅₀ ADR or 5-Fu was examined by Transwell assay. The CCR6 or CXCR4 expression was measured by real-time PCR and Western blot. The MSC distribution in tumor tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry assay.

Results  ADR and 5-Fu had obvious killing ability to tumor cells. The migration activity of MSCs was increased with IC₂₀ 5-Fu or ADR treatment by Transwell detection. The treatment of ADR or 5-Fu increased the expression of CCR6 on HepG2 and CXCR4 on MCF-7 in vitro. We also observed the MSCs migration increasing in vivo with ADR treatment by immunohistochemical method.

Conclusion  Tissue damage caused by chemotherapy can accumulate more MSCs around the tumor with increasing the cytokines receptor CCR6 and CXCR4 expression on tumor cells.