Chemotherapy reprograms miRNA expression profiles in apoptotic extracellular vesicles from medulloblastoma cells, regulating pro- and anti-proliferative effects on recipient drug-naïve cells.

Background: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a crucial role in intercellular communication. While the effects of EVs released from living or non-dying cancer cells are well characterized, the impact of EVs released from chemotherapy-treated or apoptotic cancer cells is less understood. This study investigated the effects of the chemotherapy agent cisplatin on EV release and miRNA content in apoptotic medulloblastoma cells, as well as their influence on the growth of drug-naïve recipient cancer cells.

Methods: EVs were isolated from cisplatin-treated and untreated SHH and group 3 medulloblastoma cells, as well as from the blood of mice with orthotopic medulloblastoma tumors. EVs were characterized using nanoparticle tracking analysis, cryo-TEM, and western blotting, and their impact on the growth of recipient medulloblastoma cells in 2D and 3D cultures was assessed. EV-miRNAs were analyzed using small RNA sequencing and qPCR, and the effects of candidate miRNA overexpression on medulloblastoma cell growth and apoptosis were evaluated.

Results: We demonstrate that apoptotic SHH and group 3 medulloblastoma cells secrete increased numbers of EVs (size range 150-600 nm) both in vitro and in vivo. EVs isolated from cisplatin-treated SHH and group 3 medulloblastoma cells were internalized by recipient medulloblastoma cells and exhibited distinct effects on their growth. EVs from cisplatin-treated SHH medulloblastoma cells reduced clonogenic growth in recipient drug-naïve medulloblastoma cells, whereas EVs from cisplatin-treated group 3 medulloblastoma cells enhanced the clonogenic and sphere-forming capacity of recipient cells. These contrasting effects were associated with significant alterations in EV-miRNA expression profiles between untreated and cisplatin-treated SHH and group 3 medulloblastoma cells. Notably, miR-449a was found to be upregulated in EVs from cisplatin-treated SHH medulloblastoma cells, and its overexpression in medulloblastoma cells led to potent inhibition of growth.

Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate, for the first time, that cisplatin-treated medulloblastoma cells from distinct molecular subgroups secrete EVs with altered miRNA expression profiles that either inhibit or promote the growth of recipient cancer cells. This underscores the potential of targeting EV-mediated communication as a novel therapeutic strategy in medulloblastoma.