title: Cancer cell-oriented migration of mesenchymal stem cells engineered with an anticancer gene (PTEN): an imaging demonstration.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been considered to hold great potential as ideal carriers for the delivery of anticancer agents since the discovery of their tumor tropism. This study was performed to demonstrate the effects of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) engineering on MSCs' capacity for cancer cell-oriented migration.
  
  
  METHODS
  MSCs were engineered with a PTEN-bearing plasmid and the expression was confirmed with Western blotting. A human glioma cell line (DBTRG) was used as the target cell; DBTRG cell-oriented migration of MSCs was monitored with a micro speed photographic system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of transfected PTEN in MSCs was identified by immunoblotting analysis and confirmed with cell viability assessment of target cells. The DBTRG cell-oriented migration of PTEN-engineered MSCs was demonstrated by a real-time dynamic monitoring system, and a phagocytosis-like action of MSCs was also observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MSCs maintained their capacity for cancer cell-directed migration after they were engineered with anticancer genes. This study provides the first direct evidence of MSCs' tropism post-anticancer gene engineering.
authors.affiliation: Hubei Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Research, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, People's Republic of China;
authors.forename: Zhuo-Shun
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, People's Republic of China;
authors.forename: Xiang-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Hubei Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Research, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, People's Republic of China;
authors.forename: Xing-Rong
authors.initials: XR
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Hubei Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Research, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, People's Republic of China;
authors.forename: Dan-Dan
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Guangxi Key Laboratory for Transplant Medicine, 303 Hospital of PLA, Nanning, People's Republic of China;
authors.forename: Xu-Yong
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Hubei Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Research, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, People's Republic of China;
authors.forename: Jing-Bo
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Hubei Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Research, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, People's Republic of China;
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Hubei Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Research, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, People's Republic of China; ; Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Long-Jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Garth L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Warnock
keywords: cancer; gene therapy; mesenchymal stem cells; phosphatase and tensin homolog