title: Metronomic chemotherapy following the maximum tolerated dose is an effective anti-tumour therapy affecting angiogenesis, tumour dissemination and cancer stem cells.
abstract: In this article, the effectiveness of a multi-targeted chemo-switch (C-S) schedule that combines metronomic chemotherapy (MET) after treatment with the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is reported. This schedule was tested with gemcitabine in two distinct human pancreatic adenocarcinoma orthotopic models and with cyclophosphamide in an orthotopic ovarian cancer model. In both models, the C-S schedule had the most favourable effect, achieving at least 80% tumour growth inhibition without increased toxicity. Moreover, in the pancreatic cancer model, although peritoneal metastases were observed in control and MTD groups, no dissemination was observed in the MET and C-S groups. C-S treatment caused a decrease in angiogenesis, and its effect on tumour growth was similar to that produced by the MTD followed by anti-angiogenic DC101 treatment. C-S treatment combined an increase in thrombospondin-1 expression with a decrease in the number of CD133+ cancer cells and triple-positive CD133+/CD44+/CD24+ cancer stem cells (CSCs). These findings confirm that the C-S schedule is a challenging clinical strategy with demonstrable inhibitory effects on tumour dissemination, angiogenesis and CSCs.
authors: Translational Research Laboratory, Catalan Institute of Oncology, IDIBELL, Hospital Duran i Reynals, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Marta
authors: M
authors: Vives
authors: Mireia M
authors: MM
authors: Ginestà
authors: Kristina
authors: K
authors: Gracova
authors: Mariona
authors: M
authors: Graupera
authors: Oriol
authors: O
authors: Casanovas
authors: Gabriel
authors: G
authors: Capellà
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Serrano
authors: Berta
authors: B
authors: Laquente
authors: Francesc
authors: F
authors: Viñals
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D059250:Administration, Metronomic; D000818:Animals; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020714:Maximum Tolerated Dose; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011897:Random Allocation; D019700:Thrombospondin 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D019700:Thrombospondin 1; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D000093542:Gemcitabine
keywords: anti-angiogenic; cancer stem cells; chemo-switch schedule; gemcitabine; metronomic chemotherapy