Using self-assembled nanomaterials to inhibit the formation of metastatic cancer stem cell colonies in vitro

Abstract

The isolation of cells with stem-like properties from prostate tumors suggests the presence of a cancer stem cell (CSC) population, which may account for the initiation, progression, and metastasis as well as drug resistance of the disease. We hypothesized that containing, or at least immobilizing, the CSCs in a nano-self-assembling material might help prevent prostate tumor progression or metastasis. CSCs were plated in three conditions: 1) placed in 1% concentration self-assembled peptide (SAP) preequilibrate with culture medium; 2) placed in 3% concentration SAP preequilibrate with culture medium; and 3) in nonadherent culture. All were grown for 14 days, after which the cells in both 1% and 3% concentrations were washed out of the SAP and grown for an additional 14 days. Here we report that CSCs from prostate cancer cell lines remained quiescent for more than 28 days when embedded in SAP. When the prostate CSCs were embedded in 1% and 3% SAP, most of the CSCs remained single cells 14 days after plating in a nonadherent plate; no prostaspheres could be detected 14 days after plating, suggesting that self-renewal was significantly suppressed. In the controls, prostate CSCs began to divide 1 day after plating in a nonadherent plate and prostaspheres were visible at day 10, indicating the active self-renewal property of the prostate CSCs. Our findings suggest that SAP can completely inhibit a prostate CSC from self-renewal while preserving its viability and CSC property. Therefore, SAP may be an effective nanomaterial for inhibiting cancer progression and metastasis to stop the progression during treatment and removal.