Decidua-derived mesenchymal stem cells as carriers of mesoporous silica nanoparticles. In vitro and in vivo evaluation on mammary tumors.

The potential use of human Decidua-derived mesenchymal stem cells (DMSCs) as a platform to carry mesoporous silica nanoparticles in cancer therapy has been investigated. Two types of nanoparticles were evaluated. The nanoparticles showed negligible toxicity to the cells, a fast uptake and a long retention inside them. Nanoparticle location in the cell was studied by colocalization with the lysosomes. Moreover, the in vitro and in vivo migration of DMSCs towards tumors was not modified by the evaluated nanoparticles. Finally, DMSCs transporting doxorubicin-loaded nanoparticles were capable of inducing cancer cell death in vitro. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The use of nanotechnology for anticancer drug delivery has recently attracted great interest. Nanoparticles such as mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) can reach tumors, either by passive targeting, through the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, or active targeting, through the functionalization of nanoparticle surface. However, nanotechnology has not yet achieved the expected results in improving drug targeting, highlighting the need for a better localization of the nanoparticles in the tumors. Human mesenchymal stem cells from the decidua of the human placenta (DMSCs) have been observed to migrate towards tumors in a preclinical model of breast cancer. Moreover, they have been shown to inhibit growth of primary tumors and development of new tumors. In this work, combining MSNs and DMSCs, we have studied for the first time whether placental stem cells could be employed as a platform to load nanoparticles and carry them towards tumors for future anticancer therapies.