The Brain Microenvironment Preferentially Enhances the Radioresistance of CD133+ Glioblastoma Stem-like Cells

Abstract Brain tumor xenografts initiated from glioblastoma (GBM) CD133+ tumor stem-like cells (TSCs) are composed of TSC and non-TSC subpopulations, simulating the phenotypic heterogeneity of GBMs in situ . Given that the discrepancies between the radiosensitivity of GBM cells in vitro and the treatment response of patients suggest a role for the microenvironment in GBM radioresistance, we compared the response of TSCs and non-TSCs irradiated under in vitro and orthotopic conditions. As a measure of radioresponse determined at the individual cell level, γH2AX and 53BP1 foci were quantified in CD133+ cells and their differentiated (CD133- ) progeny. Under in vitro conditions, no difference was detected between CD133+ and CD133- cells in foci induction or dispersal after irradiation. However, irradiation of orthotopic xenografts initiated from TSCs resulted in the induction of fewer γH2AX and 53BP1 foci in CD133+ cells compared to their CD133- counterparts within the same tumor. Xenograft irradiation resulted in a tumor growth delay of approximately 7 days with a corresponding increase in the percentage of CD133+ cells at 7 days after radiation, which persisted to the onset of neurologic symptoms. These results suggest that, although the radioresponse of TSCs and non-TSCs does not differ under in vitro growth conditions, CD133+ cells are relatively radioresistant under intracerebral growth conditions. Whereas these findings are consistent with the suspected role for TSCs as a determinant of GBM radioresistance, these data also illustrate the dependence of the cellular radioresistance on the brain microenvironment.