Sensitivity of Neuroblastoma and Induced Neural Progenitor Cells to High-Intensity THz Radiation

Abstract

THz radiation induces a variety of processes in cells and has attracted the attention of researchers in recent decades. Here, data on the effects of high-intensity terahertz (THz) radiation on human directly reprogrammed neural progenitor cells (drNPCs) and on neuroblastoma cells (SK-N-BE (2)) were obtained for the first time. The results demonstrated that the exposure of non-tumor and tumor cells to broadband (0.1–3 THz) THz pulses with the intensity of 21 GW/cm2 and the electric field strength of 2.8 MV/cm for 30 min induced neither a noticeable genotoxic effect nor a statistically significant change in the proliferative activity and cell differentiation. It was also shown that the combined effect of THz radiation and salinomycin, a promising antitumor agent, on neuroblastoma cells did not enhance the genotoxic effect of this antibiotic. However, further studies involving chemotherapy drugs and other exposure parameters are warranted to introduce this new concept into anti-tumor clinical practice and to enhance the efficacy of the existing approaches.

Preclinical Models of Neuroblastoma—Current Status and Perspectives

“…Moreover, the neuroblastoma cell lines have been used in a wide spectrum of studies on genetic, biochemical, functional, and structural neuroblastoma characteristics, for example on the interaction of neuroblastoma cells with Schwann cells, the synthesis of neurotransmitters, differentiation and transdifferentiation processes, chromosomal structure, the role of MYCN expression, the importance of neuropeptide Y and hypoxia, and many others [ 57 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ]. A recent CRISPR/Cas9 screen performed in a panel of neuroblastoma cell lines has led to the identification of EZH2 as a molecular driver of the MYCN -amplified neuroblastomas, paving the way for similar studies in the future [ 84 ], importantly, in 2D cell lines, potential chemotherapy [ 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 ], radiation [ 90 ], and immunotherapy [ 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 ] screening. Furthermore, they are utilized to determine the role of genetic and chromosomal alterations in tumor growth, development, and the possible prognosis of the disease [ 95 , 96 , 97 , 98 ].…”

“…These approaches include the differentiation of human and mouse embryonic stem cells, as well as human induced pluripotent cells into the neural crest, sympathoadrenal progenitors, or sympathetic nerves [ 180 , 181 , 182 , 183 ]. Others propose the use of human neural progenitor cells obtained by the direct reprogramming of the somatic cells, as well as the isolation of sympathetic neuroblasts from chick embryos or sympathoadrenal progenitor cells from postnatal murine adrenal glands [ 90 , 180 , 184 ]. Thus far, the number of available models of neuroblastoma initiation is limited and the methodology is still being developed.…”