Sustained hedgehog signaling in medulloblastoma tumoroids is attributed to stromal astrocytes and astrocyte-derived extracellular matrix

Lab Invest. 2020 Sep;100(9):1208-1222. doi: 10.1038/s41374-020-0443-2. Epub 2020 May 26.

Abstract

Aberrant activation of the hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is associated with the formation of medulloblastoma (MB), the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor. However, tumor cells from human and mouse MB can not be passaged or preserved after being adherently cultured. Moreover, Hh signaling in MB cells is inactivated in such culture. Here we demonstrate that MB cells are capable of forming tumoroids (tumor spheroids) in vitro under optimized conditions, which can be further passaged and cryopreserved. More importantly, MB cells maintain Hh pathway activation and cell proliferation in tumoroids. Our studies further reveal that tumoroids-forming capacity of MB cells relies on astrocytes, a major component of the MB microenvironment. Astrocytes facilitate the formation of MB tumoroids by secreting sonic hedgehog (Shh) and generating astrocyte-derived extracellular matrix. These findings demonstrate the critical role of stromal astrocytes in supporting the survival and proliferation of MB cells in vitro. This study establishes a valid model for long-term culture of primary MB cells, which could be greatly beneficial for future investigation of MB tumorigenicity and the development of improved approaches to treat MB.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Astrocytes / metabolism*
  • Astrocytes / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cerebellar Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Cerebellar Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Extracellular Matrix / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Hedgehog Proteins / genetics*
  • Hedgehog Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Medulloblastoma / genetics*
  • Medulloblastoma / metabolism
  • Medulloblastoma / pathology
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mice, SCID
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Patched-2 Receptor / genetics
  • Patched-2 Receptor / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / genetics*
  • Tumor Microenvironment / genetics
  • Zinc Finger Protein GLI1 / genetics
  • Zinc Finger Protein GLI1 / metabolism

Substances

  • Hedgehog Proteins
  • Patched-2 Receptor
  • Ptch2 protein, mouse
  • Zinc Finger Protein GLI1