Effects of single or combined treatments with radiation and chemotherapy on survival and danger signals expression in glioblastoma cell lines

Biomed Res Int. 2014:2014:453497. doi: 10.1155/2014/453497. Epub 2014 Jul 1.

Abstract

The success of chemo- and radiotherapy in glioblastoma multiforme, the most common and lethal primary brain tumour, could rely on the induction of immunogenic tumour cell death and on the induction of anticancer immune response. In this study we investigated cell survival to single treatments or combination of X-rays and temozolomide in glioblastoma cell lines (T98G and U251MG) and we attempted to identify danger signals (HMGB1 and HSP70) released by dying cells in the microenvironment that could activate antitumour immunity contributing to the therapeutic efficacy of conventional treatments. Our data suggest that HSP70 translocates from cytoplasm to extracellular environment after an increase in radiation dose and HMGB1 translocates from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and subsequently is released into the extracellular space, confirming a role of these proteins as signals released after radiation-induced damage in glioblastoma cells. We also could state that TMZ had limited effectiveness in activating HMGB1 and HSP70 signalling and, instead, an adjuvant effect was observed in some combined treatments, depending on schedule, cell line, and timing. A big challenge in tumour therapy is, therefore, to identify the most beneficial combination and chronology of multiple treatment options to contribute to the improvement of the therapeutic outcome.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / radiation effects
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Dacarbazine / administration & dosage
  • Dacarbazine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Glioblastoma / drug therapy*
  • Glioblastoma / pathology
  • Glioblastoma / radiotherapy*
  • HMGB1 Protein / biosynthesis
  • HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / biosynthesis
  • HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Temozolomide
  • Tumor Microenvironment / genetics*

Substances

  • HMGB1 Protein
  • HMGB1 protein, human
  • HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins
  • Dacarbazine
  • Temozolomide