Characterization of the Intracellular Acidity Regulation of Brain Tumor Cells and Consequences for Therapeutic Optimization of Temozolomide

Simple Summary Tumor cells have high levels of metabolic activity, which makes the environment around them more acidic. This acidic environment encourages the aggressiveness and invasiveness of the tumor, which are linked to a worse prognosis. Cancer cells may control their internal acidity in different ways when exposed to an acidic environment. In this study, two types of brain tumor cells were exposed to different levels of acidity to characterize their response in terms on intracellular pH regulation. The results show that these cells do not handle acidity the same way. One cell type can reduce its internal acidity, while the other can withstand higher acidity levels. The ability to manage acidity seems to depend on the specific cell type and involves various mechanisms to keep the cells working properly. This study explored these cells in both 2D flat layers and 3D structures called spheroids. In spheroids, the regulation process of internal acidity appears to work differently than in 2D. These findings could influence treatment because the drug temozolomide, which is used to fight brain tumors, works better in certain pH environments. By adjusting the pH outside the cells, the effectiveness of the drug can be improved. This suggests that personalized treatment might be possible by combining temozolomide with substances that control pH.Abstract A well-known feature of tumor cells is high glycolytic activity, leading to acidification of the tumor microenvironment through extensive lactate production. This acidosis promotes processes such as metastasis, aggressiveness, and invasiveness, which have been associated with a worse clinical prognosis. Moreover, the function and expression of transporters involved in regulation of intracellular pH might be altered. In this study, the capacity of tumor cells to regulate their intracellular pH when exposed to a range of pH from very acidic to basic was characterized in two glioma cell lines (F98 and U87) using a new recently published method of fluorescence imaging. Our results show that the regulation of acidity in tumors is not the same for the two investigated cell lines; U87 cells are able to reduce their intracellular acidity, whereas F98 cells do not exhibit this property. On the other hand, F98 cells show a higher level of resistance to acidity than U87 cells. Intracellular regulation of acidity appears to be highly cell-dependent, with different mechanisms activated to preserve cell integrity and function. This characterization was performed on 2D monolayer cultures and 3D spheroids. Spatial heterogeneities were exhibited in 3D, suggesting a spatially modulated regulation in this context. Based on the corpus of knowledge available in the literature, we propose plausible mechanisms to interpret our results, together with some new lines of investigation to validate our hypotheses. Our results might have implications on therapy, since the activity of temozolomide is highly pH-dependent. We show that the drug efficiency can be enhanced, depending on the cell type, by manipulating the extracellular pH. Therefore, personalized treatment involving a combination of temozolomide and pH-regulating agents can be considered.

Automated summary

Tumor cells have high metabolic activity, leading to increased acidity in the surrounding environment. This acidic environment promotes tumor aggressiveness and invasiveness, which are associated with a worse prognosis. This study found that different types of brain tumor cells handle acidity differently. The ability to regulate acidity appears to depend on the specific cell type and involves various mechanisms. These findings could impact treatment, as some drugs work better in certain pH environments. Adjusting the extracellular pH may improve drug effectiveness.