Figure 5

Effect of mesenchymal stromal cells on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma progression in a xenograft murine model. Equal numbers of mesenchymal stromal cells isolated from three different patient samples were pooled and admixed to HNSCC FaDu cells in a 1:1 ratio. Mixtures of tumor-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (TuMSC)–FaDu cells (n = 8) and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BMMSC)–FaDu cells (n = 4) were injected into the right flank of immunodeficient nude mice. The control group was injected with only FaDu cells (n = 8). (a) The tumor volume was monitored by caliper measurements. Gray vertical line, sacrifice of mice according to ethic requirements. Cryosection slides of excised tumors (n = 3 for each group) were analyzed for Ki-67 staining (b) and apoptosis TUNEL staining (c). Representative pictures were chosen and analyzed under a 400-fold magnification. p.i., post injection (of tumor); TUNEL, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-dUTP nick end-labeling.