Anticancer Res. 2015 Jan;35(1):159-68.

Human Adipose Tissue-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Inhibit Melanoma Growth In Vitro and In Vivo.

Ahn JO¹, Coh YR¹, Lee HW¹, Shin IS², Kang SK², Youn HY³.

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIM:

The effects of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AT-MSCs) on the growth of human malignancies, including melanoma, are controversial and the underlying mechanisms are not yet-well understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate the in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor effects of human AT-MSCs on human melanoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The inhibitory effect of AT-MSC-conditioned medium (AT-MSC-CM) on the growth of A375SM and A375P (human melanoma) cells was evaluated using a cell viability assay. Cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in melanoma cells were investigated by flow cytometry and western blot analysis. To evaluate the in vivo anti-tumor effect of AT-MSCs, CM-DiI-labeled AT-MSCs were circumtumorally injected in tumor-bearing athymic mice and tumor size was measured.

RESULTS:

AT-MSC-CM inhibited melanoma growth by altering cell-cycle distribution and inducing apoptosis in vitro. AT-MSCs suppressed tumor growth in tumor-bearing athymic mice and fluorescence analysis showed that AT-MSCs migrated efficiently to tumor tissues.

CONCLUSION:

AT-MSCs inhibit the growth of melanoma suggesting promise as a novel therapeutic agent for melanoma.