Low-dose aspirin delays an inflammatory tumor progression in vivo in a transgenic mouse model of neuroblastoma

LM Carlson, A Rasmuson, H Idborg… - …, 2013 - academic.oup.com
LM Carlson, A Rasmuson, H Idborg, L Segerström, PJ Jakobsson, B Sveinbjörnsson
Carcinogenesis, 2013academic.oup.com
Tumor-associated inflammation is a driving force in several adult cancers and intake of low-
dose aspirin has proven to reduce cancer incidence. Little is known about tumor-associated
inflammation in pediatric neoplasms and no in vivo data exists on the effectiveness of low-
dose aspirin on established tumors. The present study employs the transgenic TH-MYCN
mouse model for neuroblastoma (NB) to evaluate inflammatory patterns paralleling tumor
growth in vivo and low-dose aspirin as a therapeutic option for high-risk NB. Spontaneously …
Abstract
Tumor-associated inflammation is a driving force in several adult cancers and intake of low-dose aspirin has proven to reduce cancer incidence. Little is known about tumor-associated inflammation in pediatric neoplasms and no in vivo data exists on the effectiveness of low-dose aspirin on established tumors. The present study employs the transgenic TH- MYCN mouse model for neuroblastoma (NB) to evaluate inflammatory patterns paralleling tumor growth in vivo and low-dose aspirin as a therapeutic option for high-risk NB. Spontaneously arising abdominal tumors were monitored for tumor-associated inflammation ex vivo at various stages of disease and homozygous mice received daily low-dose aspirin (10mg/kg) using oral gavage or no treatment, from 4.5 to 6 weeks of age. Using flow cytometry, a transition from an adaptive immune response predominated by CD8 + T cell in early neoplastic lesions, towards enrichment in immature cells of the innate immune system, including myeloid-derived suppressor cells, dendritic cells and tumor-associated macrophages, was detected during tumor progression. An M1 to M2 transition of tumor-associated macrophages was demonstrated, paralleled by a deterioration of dendritic cell status. Treatment with low-dose aspirin to mice homozygous for the TH- MYCN transgene significantly reduced the tumor burden ( P < 0.01), the presence of tumor-associated cells of the innate immune system ( P < 0.01), as well as the intratumoral expression of transforming growth factor-β, thromboxane A 2 ( P < 0.05) and prostaglandin D 2 ( P < 0.01). In conclusion, tumor-associated inflammation appears as a potential therapeutic target in NB and low-dose aspirin reduces tumor burden in the TH- MYCN transgenic mouse model of NB, hence warranting further studies on aspirin in high-risk NB.
Oxford University Press