Stem cell niches in glioblastoma: a neuropathological view.

Glioblastoma (GBM) stem cells (GSCs), responsible for tumor growth, recurrence, and resistance to therapies, are considered the real therapeutic target, if they had no molecular mechanisms of resistance, in comparison with the mass of more differentiated cells which are insensitive to therapies just because of being differentiated and nonproliferating. GSCs occur in tumor niches where both stemness status and angiogenesis are conditioned by the microenvironment. In both perivascular and perinecrotic niches, hypoxia plays a fundamental role. Fifteen glioblastomas have been studied by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence for stemness and differentiation antigens. It has been found that circumscribed necroses develop inside hyperproliferating areas that are characterized by high expression of stemness antigens. Necrosis developed inside them because of the imbalance between the proliferation of tumor cells and endothelial cells; it reduces the number of GSCs to a thin ring around the former hyperproliferating area. The perinecrotic GSCs are nothing else that the survivors remnants of those populating hyperproliferating areas. In the tumor, GSCs coincide with malignant areas so that the need to detect where they are located is not so urgent.

1. Introduction

Glioblastoma (GBM) stem cells (GSCs), responsible for tumor growth, recurrence, and resistance to therapies, are considered the real therapeutic target in comparison with the mass of insensitive and differentiated tumor cells [1]. To know where they are located in the tumor and to detect them in vivo could be an important therapeutic achievement. Independently of their origin, by transformation from normal neural stem cells (NSCs) [2] or from progenitors [3] or from dedifferentiation of mature glia cells with the acquisition of stemness properties [4, 5], they occur in niches, corresponding to the niche of normal NSCs in the subventricular zone (SVZ) where the NSCs and progenitors are in close contact with the vasculature [6, 7]. They show self-renewing, proliferation, differentiation capacity, and high motility and express stemness antigens and an immature genetic signature [8]. Their stemness status and their relationship with angiogenesis are under specific molecular signaling [9].

GSCs occur in perivascular or perinecrotic niches, express stemness antigens, and show the same genetic alterations of primary tumors. Perivascular niches go from simple forms represented by endothelial cells associated with Nestin+ and CD133+ cells, which condition angiogenesis and tumor growth [10], to more complicated niches that include astrocytes, fibroblasts, macrophages, pericytes, nonstem tumor cells, and microglia [9] with a complicated cross-talk [11]. Perinecrotic niches have been described around circumscribed necroses where a central role is played by hypoxia and hypoxia-inducible factors 1/2 (HIF-1/2) [11] and an intrinsic and extrinsic regulation occurs [9, 11].

CD133 [12] or specific stemness proteins [13] have been used to recognize perivascular, dispersed, or perinecrotic GSCs [14]. The association of GSCs with endothelial cells and hypoxia by HIF-1/2 maintains cell stemness and favors invasion and angiogenesis.

Nestin is not a specific marker of stemness; however, from a neuropathological point of view, as deduced from its distribution complementary to that of GFAP in gliomas [15], it marks immature glia cells, including GSCs [16]. The problem is how far the concepts elaborated on niches can find corresponding aspects in human neuropathology, knowing that sometimes observations made in experimental conditions or in animal models are not confirmed [17]. In the present study, we wanted to verify in a series of human GBMs whether alternative interpretations exist to perinecrotic niches.

2. Materials and Methods

The study was performed on 15 GBMs operated at the Neurosurgical Unit of CTO Hospital, Turin. Surgical samples were split in two fragments. One was formalin fixed, paraffin embedded, and cut in 5 μm thick sections that were stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and by immunohistochemistry (IHC).

IHC was performed with the primary antibodies listed in Table 1 on a Ventana Full BenchMark automatic immunostainer (Ventana Medical Systems, Tucson, AZ, USA). Heat-induced epitope retrieval (HIER) was performed in Tris-EDTA, pH 8 (Ventana) and the ultraView Universal DAB Detection Kit (Ventana) was used as detection system.

Table 1

List of primary antibodies used.

Antibody	Source	Dilution	Code	Company
Ki-67/MIB.1	Mouse	1 : 100	M7240	Dako
GFAP	Mouse	1 : 200	M0761	Dako
Nestin	Mouse	1 : 200	MAB5326	Millipore
SOX2	Mouse	1 : 100	MAB2018	R&D Systems
REST	Rabbit	1 : 150	IHC-00141	Bethyl Laboratories
HIF-1	Mouse	1 : 100	NB100-105	Novus Biological
CD34	Mouse	Prediluted	790-2927	Ventana
α-Sm-actin	Mouse	Prediluted	760-2833	Ventana
GFAP*	Rabbit	1 : 200	Z0334	Dako
Nestin*	Rabbit	1 : 200	AB5922	Millipore
CD133/1 (AC133)*	Mouse	1 : 20	130-090-422	Miltenyi Biotec
Musashi.1*	Rabbit	1 : 200	AB5977	Millipore

*Tested by IF.

The second fragment of the sample was frozen and 7 μm thick cryostat sections were cut, fixed with paraformaldehyde, and used for immunofluorescence (IF). Primary antibodies used are listed in Table 1; secondary antibodies were goat anti-rabbit fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC-) conjugated IgG and rabbit anti-mouse tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate (TRITC-) conjugated IgG antibodies (Dako, Carpinteria, CA, USA). Negative controls were obtained by omitting the primary antibody. Observations were carried out on a Zeiss Axioskop Fluorescence Microscope (Karl Zeiss, Oberkochen, Germany) equipped with an AxioCam5MR5c and coupled to an imaging system (AxioVision Release 4.5, Zeiss).

Apoptosis was revealed by in situ terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labelling (TUNEL) assay, using the in situ cell death detection kit, Fluorescein (Roche, Diagnostic Corporation Indianapolis, IN, USA) according to the manufacturer's protocols.

Cell density was evaluated as the mean number of cells counted in 5 microscopic fields, 1000x.

The labelling index (LI) of Ki-67/MIB.1 was calculated as the mean percentage of positive nuclei in comparison with the total number of nuclei in 5 microscopic fields, 1000x.

3. Results

In proliferating areas with very high cell density and Ki-67/MIB.1 labelling LI, hyperchromatic nuclei, and scanty cytoplasm, it was common to find Nestin+ cells around capillaries or larger vessels, prevailing on GFAP+ cells (Figures 1(a)–1(c)). In perivascular cell cuffings, Nestin still prevailed upon GFAP in the inner cell layer (Figures 1(d) and 1(e)). Hypercellular areas around circumscribed necroses (Figure 2(b)) showed a high Ki-67/MIB.1 LI (Figure 2(e)) and expressed much more Nestin than GFAP (Figures 1(f)–1(i)). These areas were frequently devoid of CD34+ small vessels or capillaries (Figure 2(a)). Circumscribed necroses developed in hyperproliferating areas and showed a necrotic centre with TUNEL-positive nuclear fragments and an internal slope with TUNEL-positive apoptotic nuclei. The palisades, crowded with Nestin+ cells and mitoses, flew into areas with lower cell density where GFAP+ cells progressively prevailed upon Nestin+ cells.

Figure 1

(a) Infiltration area with many positive cells on vessels of different size, Nestin, DAB, 200x. (b) Transition area: medium size vessels with no cell around, GFAP, DAB, 100x. (c) Same area with many positive cells around vessels, Nestin, DAB, 100x. (d) Proliferation area: cuffing of tumor cells around vessels; GFAP+ cells are in an external position, DAB, 200x. (e) Id Nestin+ cells prevail and are located in the inner layer of the cuffing, DAB, 200x. (f) Hyperproliferating area with a circumscribed necrosis: most cells do not express GFAP, DAB, 100x. (g) The same area: the cells strongly express Nestin, DAB, 100x. (h) Id for GFAP, DAB, 400x, and (i) Nestin, DAB, 400x.

Figure 2

(a) Hyperproliferating area with a circumscribed necrosis devoid of vessels, CD34, DAB, 100x. (b) Circumscribed necrosis in a hypercellular area, H&E, 100x. (c) Hyperproliferating area strongly positive for SOX2, DAB, 100x. (d) Id for REST, DAB, 100x. (e) Id in a hyperproliferating area with high Ki-67/MIB.1 LI, DAB, 100x. (f) HIF-1-positive cells near a circumscribed necrosis, DAB, 200x.

The hyperproliferating areas and the palisades strongly expressed SOX2 and REST (Figures 2(c) and 2(d)). HIF-1+ nuclei were mainly found in the palisade bordering the necrosis, but also scattered in the tissue (Figure 2(f)). Microvascular proliferations (MVP) could be variably surrounded by various cell types such as tumor cells, fibroblasts, macrophages, reactive astrocytes, and mainly alpha smooth muscle actin (α-sm-actin-) positive pericytes. By IF, the respective distribution of GFAP+ and Nestin+ cells was clearly evident (Figures 3(a)–3(c)). CD133+ and Musashi.1+ cells were found in small groups or scattered in the hyperproliferating areas and in the palisades (Figures 3(d)–3(f)).

Figure 3

(a) Hyperproliferating area with few cells expressing GFAP, IF, 200x. (b) Id with many cells expressing Nestin, 200x. (c) Merge. (d) Hyperproliferating areas with omission of CD133 antibody, 400x. (e) Hyperproliferating area with CD133 antibody. (f) Id with Musashi.1, 400x.

4. Discussion

The close contact between Nestin+ cells and capillaries [10] and the perivascular position of tumor stem cells recognizable by CD133 positivity or expression of specific stem cell antigens [13] correspond, from the neuropathological point of view, to the distribution of Nestin in gliomas that is less extensive than that of GFAP, but it includes more immature tumor cells, stem cells, and progenitors [15]. As a matter of fact, in the cytogenesis, Nestin is the first antigen to be expressed and it persists in the following stages, for example, in radial glia which is the only glia expressing the three antigens Nestin, Vimentin, and GFAP at the same time. In the course of differentiation, GFAP expression progressively increases as that of Nestin decreases [15]. The perivascular position of stem cells observed by Nestin, CD133, or other stemness antigens corresponds to that of Nestin+ cells which, if not a specific marker of stem cells, marks immature cells [15]. Nestin is strongly expressed in hyperproliferating areas, where often GFAP is lacking, demonstrating that they contain more immature cells, that is, stem cells or progenitors, and this corresponds to what has been shown with CD133 or other stemness antigens [12, 13].

In the association of GSCs/progenitors with endothelial cells in perivascular positions, the latter maintain the stemness of the former and, on the other side, the former favor angiogenesis. This reciprocity is easily comprehensible when there is a direct contact between Nestin+ cells and endothelial cells, as it happens in capillaries or small vessels; it is more difficult when Nestin+ cells crowd around vessels with a thicker wall. Anyway, the association has been considered as instrumental to tumor diffusion and expansion, which are realized through the epithelial-mesenchymal transition [18].

The perivascular stem cell niche consists of distinct cell types and matrices that regulate proliferation, fate specification, and protection of normal neural stem cells (NSCs). The intimate association between normal NSCs and endothelial cells has been reported to regulate self-renewal and differentiation of normal NSCs. There would be a bidirectional communication between endothelial cells and tumor initiating cells (TICs) [19]. The composition of perivascular niche (PVN) has been carefully described, with also the inclusion of extra-cellular matrix, integrins, cell adhesion signaling, cadherin family, and so forth [20]. In GBMs, strong evidence for the existence of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process is still lacking, but this process is increasingly reported as instrumental to growth and diffusion of the tumor [21, 22]. EMT is a process letting differentiated epithelial cells establish stable contacts with neighbor cells, assume a mesenchymal cell phenotype with loss of cell-cell interactions, reduced cellular adhesion, active production of ECM proteases, increased cytoskeletal dynamics, and changes in transcription factor expression, and assume the acquisition of a stem cell program; all of them lead to increased migration and invasion ability.

The three major groups of transcription factors, the SNAI, TWIST, and Zinc-finger enhancer binding (ZEB) family members have been reported to be altered in GBM. Their overexpression follows the activation of WNT/β-catenin pathway and results in increased in vitro cell migration and invasion [23, 24]. It is likely that the high expression of mesenchymal genes in the mesenchymal subset of human GBMs [25] can be considered to be reminiscent of the EMT program [26] or that the aberrant activation of EMT factors during gliomagenesis can trigger the mesenchymal shift in GBM [27].

In the hyperproliferating zones of GBM there are areas devoid of vessels. Neoangiogenesis in gliomas is realized through a complex molecular mechanism focused on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), hypoxia, and so forth [28]; that does not exclude the possibility that bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells [29, 30] or mesenchymal stem cells [31] participate in the process. Angiogenesis starting from the vessels of the host produces, on the one side, a thick net of small neoformed vessels capable of nourishing a large population of tumors cells and, on the other side, multilayered bumpy vessels, usually derived from the penetrating meningeal vessels assailed by the invading tumor cells, inadequate to feed the multitude of invading cells [32, 33]. On the vessel walls, there is a crowding of pericytes, recruited by PDGFR expressed by endothelial cells, but also macrophages, fibroblasts, tumor or reactive astrocytes [11]. Pericytes are critical for the structural stability of the vascular niche, for survival of tumor endothelial cells [34], and, in general, for the establishment of the neovascular tree [35].

Perinecrotic niches represent an even more complicated matter. The perinecrotic GSCs are believed to be induced by hypoxia; the hypothesis is that HIF-1/2 activates key stem cell genes such as Nanog, Oct4, and c-Myc [35]. Circumscribed necroses have been carefully described and codified [28, 36, 37] as due to an ischemic process following a vascular occlusion or a pathology of the endothelium; the consequent hypoxia would stimulate angiogenesis, through HIF-1 and VEGF. According to our observations, another interpretation can be given. Necroses develop in hyperproliferating areas, with a high Ki-67/MIB.1 LI and a high Nestin expression in comparison with GFAP, due to the focal insufficiency of neoangiogenesis to feed a very large number of tumor cells, because of the imbalance between the high tumor cell proliferation capacity and the low one of endothelial cells [32, 38, 39]. This observation does not exclude that inside necroses regressive pathological vessels occur [37]. The palisades, as well as hypercellular areas, are composed of Nestin+, SOX2+, and REST+ cells, which can be considered as stemness markers [40, 41] with a high proliferation index, and contain CD133+ cells, as already observed [12]. It is likely that GSCs represent the quota of GSCs, that populated the hyperproliferating areas, remained after necrosis development. Similarly the palisades themselves are the remnants of the part of hyperproliferating areas spared by necrosis. This interpretation would not be in contrast with that of a vascular pathology as the first step of necrosis [37].

The real origin of GSCs is still debated. They are supposed to derive from the transformation of NSCs [42, 43], from mature astrocytes through dedifferentiation [4, 5], from precursor oligodendrocytes, or NG2 [44-47] or they represent a simple functional status [48-50]. The latter can be regulated in the microenvironment of the niches, considering the entire hyperproliferating area as a niche. The stem-like status could be reached by the most malignant cells, that is, dedifferentiated tumor cells, which acquire stemness properties. On the other hand, GSCs have been considered at the top of a hierarchy of tumor cells as for phenotypic and genotypic stemness expression [51, 52] corresponding to stemness hierarchy [50] which is at its maximum height in the most malignant phenotype of the tumor. Our observation that the capacity to generate neurospheres in culture varies according to the site of the sample [50], in agreement [53, 54] or in contrast [55] with other observations, is in line with the present results.

No possibility has been found till now to detect GSCs in vivo by MRI techniques. With 5-ALA, it was shown that TICs from the fluorescent mass are different from those of nonfluorescent margins which are tumorigenic in vivo but not self-renewing in vitro [54]. On the other hand, the results of this work demonstrate that the detection of GSCs in vivo is not so urgent, because they probably correspond more or less to the most malignant areas of GBM. This does not exclude that their annihilation by pharmacological means continues to be a therapeutic target.

5. Conclusions

Therapies directed to the elimination of GSCs in glioblastoma remain fundamental. They would require the in vivo detection of GSCs. GSCs, as expression of a functional status, roughly correspond to the most malignant tumor phenotype.