Stem Cell Transplantation in Brain Tumors: A New Field for Molecular Imaging?

Abstract

Neural stem cells have been proposed as a new and promising treatment modality in various pathologies of the central nervous system, including malignant brain tumors. However, the underlying mechanism by which neural stem cells target tumor areas remains elusive. Monitoring of these cells is currently done by use of various modes of molecular imaging, such as optical imaging, magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography, which is a novel technology for visualizing metabolism and signal transduction to gene expression. In this new context, the microenvironment of (malignant) brain tumors and the blood-brain barrier gains increased interest. The authors of this review give a unique overview of the current molecular-imaging techniques used in different therapeutic experimental brain tumor models in relation to neural stem cells. Such methods for molecular imaging of gene-engineered neural stem/progenitor cells are currently used to trace the location and temporal level of expression of therapeutic and endogenous genes in malignant brain tumors, closing the gap between in vitro and in vivo integrative biology of disease in neural stem cell transplantation.

Artificial Intelligence and Precision Medicine: A New Frontier for the Treatment of Brain Tumors

“…Molecular imaging provides the framework for new developments in the diagnosis of brain tumors. This technology allows for the visualization of molecular processes in the brain, which can provide critical information for diagnosis and treatment [ 122 ]. AI-based imaging algorithms (CXR-vision model, LIDC-IDRI model, LUNA16 model, and the CT-based volumetric analysis) have proven to be effective in diagnosing various cancers such as lung cancer [ 123 ], breast cancer (Mirai), and brain tumors [ 124 ].…”

Clinical medicine, public health and ecological health: a new basis for education and prevention?

“…Modern medicine has greatly succeeded in controlling, avoiding and even eliminating diseases. To achieve this goal, there have been developed for example extraordinary surgical techniques [ 1 ], including procedures to transplant vital organs [ 2 ]. Implicit in such medical achievement has been the basic concept that mankind is a separate entity, a little apart from and a little above other forms of life: human beings are the crown of life on Earth.…”

Editorial Molecular imaging of stem cell therapy in brain tumors: a step towards personalized medicine

“…The widely used molecular gene therapy approach is suicide gene therapy based on the conversion of non-toxic prodrugs into active anticancer agents via introduction of enzymes, and genetic immunotherapy involves the gene transfer of immune-stimulating cytokines including interleukin (IL)-4, IL-12 and tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) [ 10 , 11 ]. For both molecular and immune gene therapy, stem cells can be used as a delivery vehicle of therapeutic genes [ 12 ]. Stem cells possess an inherent tumor tropism and have the capacity to target therapeutic genes to tumors, which supports their use as a reliable delivery vehicle to target therapeutic gene products to primary brain tumors and metastatic cancers throughout the brain [ 13 , 14 ].…”

“…Developments in molecular imaging will therefore provide the diagnostic framework of a molecular medicine of brain tumors [ 12 ]. This is of special importance as, despite exciting initial reports, clinical potency of stem cell therapy in animal brain tumor models has to date proven disappointing.…”