RT Journal Article T1 Tumor Immunotherapy Using Gene-Modified Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Loaded into Synthetic Extracellular Matrix Scaffolds A1 Compte, Marta A1 Cuesta Martínez, Ángel A1 Sánchez-Martín, David A1 Alonso-Camino, Vanesa A1 Vicario, José Luís A1 Sanz, Laura A1 Álvarez-Vallina, Luís AB Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are appealing as gene therapy cell vehicles given their ease of expansion and transduction. However, MSCs exhibit immunomodulatory and proangiogenic properties that may pose a risk in their use in anticancer therapy. For this reason, we looked for a strategy to confine MSCs to a determined location, compatible with a clinical application. Human MSCs genetically modified to express luciferase (MSCluc), seeded in a synthetic extracellular matrix (sECM) scaffold (sentinel scaffold) and injected subcutaneously in immunodeficient mice, persisted for more than 40 days, as assessed by bioluminescence imaging in vivo. MSCs modified to express a bispecific α-carcinoembryonic antigen (αCEA)/αCD3 diabody (MSCdAb) and seeded in an sECM scaffold (therapeutic scaffolds) supported the release of functional diabody into the bloodstream at detectable levels for at least 6 weeks after implantation. Furthermore, when therapeutic scaffolds were implanted into CEA-positive human colon cancer xenograft-bearing mice and human T lymphocytes were subsequently transferred, circulating αCEA/αCD3 diabody activated T cells and promoted tumor cell lysis. Reduction of tumor growth in MSCdAb-treated mice was statistically significant compared with animals that only received MSCluc. In summary, we report here for the first time that human MSCs genetically engineered to secrete a bispecific diabody, seeded in an sECM scaffold and implanted in a location distant from the primary tumor, induce an effective antitumor response and tumor regression. PB Oxford University Press SN 1066-5099 YR 2009 FD 2009-03-02 LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/93868 UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/93868 LA eng NO Compte M, Cuesta AM, Sánchez-Martín D, et al. Tumor immunotherapy using gene-modified human mesenchymal stem cells loaded into synthetic extracellular matrix scaffolds. Stem Cells. 2009;27(3):753-760. doi:10.1634/stemcells.2008-0831 NO Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación NO Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid NO Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria NO Instituto de Salud Carlos III NO European Social Fund DS Docta Complutense RD 4 jul 2025