1
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Zuo C, Xia J, Chen L. Dissecting tumor microenvironment from spatially resolved transcriptomics data by heterogeneous graph learning. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5057. [PMID: 38871687 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49171-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Spatially resolved transcriptomics (SRT) has enabled precise dissection of tumor-microenvironment (TME) by analyzing its intracellular molecular networks and intercellular cell-cell communication (CCC). However, lacking computational exploration of complicated relations between cells, genes, and histological regions, severely limits the ability to interpret the complex structure of TME. Here, we introduce stKeep, a heterogeneous graph (HG) learning method that integrates multimodality and gene-gene interactions, in unraveling TME from SRT data. stKeep leverages HG to learn both cell-modules and gene-modules by incorporating features of diverse nodes including genes, cells, and histological regions, allows for identifying finer cell-states within TME and cell-state-specific gene-gene relations, respectively. Furthermore, stKeep employs HG to infer CCC for each cell, while ensuring that learned CCC patterns are comparable across different cell-states through contrastive learning. In various cancer samples, stKeep outperforms other tools in dissecting TME such as detecting bi-potent basal populations, neoplastic myoepithelial cells, and metastatic cells distributed within the tumor or leading-edge regions. Notably, stKeep identifies key transcription factors, ligands, and receptors relevant to disease progression, which are further validated by the functional and survival analysis of independent clinical data, thereby highlighting its clinical prognostic and immunotherapy applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunman Zuo
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Industrial Big Data and Intelligent System, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China.
- Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering of Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130022, China.
| | - Junjie Xia
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Industrial Big Data and Intelligent System, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Luonan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.
- Key Laboratory of Systems Health Science of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China.
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, Med-X center for informatics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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2
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Dhungel N, Dragoi AM. Exploring the multifaceted role of direct interaction between cancer cells and fibroblasts in cancer progression. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1379971. [PMID: 38863965 PMCID: PMC11165130 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1379971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The interaction between the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the cancer cells is a complex and mutually beneficial system that leads to rapid cancer cells proliferation, metastasis, and resistance to therapy. It is now recognized that cancer cells are not isolated, and tumor progression is governed among others, by many components of the TME. The reciprocal cross-talk between cancer cells and their microenvironment can be indirect through the secretion of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and paracrine signaling through exosomes, cytokines, and growth factors, or direct by cell-to-cell contact mediated by cell surface receptors and adhesion molecules. Among TME components, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are of unique interest. As one of the most abundant components of the TME, CAFs play key roles in the reorganization of the extracellular matrix, facilitating metastasis and chemotherapy evasion. Both direct and indirect roles have been described for CAFs in modulating tumor progression. In this review, we focus on recent advances in understanding the role of direct contact between cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in driving tumor development and metastasis. We also summarize recent findings on the role of direct contact between cancer cells and CAFs in chemotherapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilu Dhungel
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, LSUHSC, Shreveport, LA, United States
| | - Ana-Maria Dragoi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, LSUHSC, Shreveport, LA, United States
- Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, INLET Core, LSUHSC, Shreveport, LA, United States
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3
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Sitte Z, Miranda Buzetta AA, Jones SJ, Lin ZW, Whitman NA, Lockett MR. Paper-Based Coculture Platform to Evaluate the Effects of Fibroblasts on Estrogen Signaling in ER+ Breast Cancers. ACS MEASUREMENT SCIENCE AU 2023; 3:479-487. [PMID: 38145029 PMCID: PMC10740124 DOI: 10.1021/acsmeasuresciau.3c00032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Cell-based assays enable molecular-level studies of cellular responses to drug candidates or potential toxins. Transactivation assays quantify the activation or inhibition of nuclear receptors, key transcriptional regulators of gene targets in mamalian cells. One such assay couples the expression of luciferase to the transcriptional activity of estrogen receptor-alpha (ERα). While this assay is regularly used to screen for agonists and antagonists of the estrogen signaling pathway, the setup relies on monolayer cultures in which cells are plated directly onto the surface of cell-compatible plasticware. The tumor microenvironment is more than a collection of cancerous cells and is profoundly influenced by tissue architecture, the presence of extracellular matrices, and intercellular signaling molecules produced by non-cancerous neighboring cells (e.g., fibroblasts). There exists a need for three-dimensional culture platforms that can be rapidly prototyped to assess new configurations and readily produced in the large numbers needed for translational studies and screening applications. Here, we demonstrate the utility of the paper-based culture platform to probe the effects of intercellular signaling between two cell types. We used paper scaffolds to generate tumor-like environments, forming a defined volume of breast cancer cells suspended in collagen. By placing the paper scaffolds in commercial 96-well plates, we compared monocultures of only breast cancer cells with coculture configurations containing fibroblasts in different locations that mimicked the stages of breast cancer progression. We show that ERα transactivation in the T47D-KBluc cell line is affected by the presence, number, and proximity of fibroblasts, and is a consequence of intercellular signaling molecules. After screening a small library of fibroblast-secreted signaling molecules, we showed that interleukin-6 (IL-6) was the primary driver of reduced estradiol sensitivity. These effects were mitigated in the coculture configurations by the addition of an IL-6 neutralizing antibody. We also assessed estrogen receptor expression and transcriptional regulation, further demonstrating the utility of the paper-based platform for detailed mechanistic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary
R. Sitte
- Department
of Chemistry, University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, Kenan and Caudill Laboratories, 125 South Road, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, United States
| | - Abel Andre Miranda Buzetta
- Department
of Chemistry, University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, Kenan and Caudill Laboratories, 125 South Road, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, United States
| | - Sarina J. Jones
- Department
of Chemistry, University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, Kenan and Caudill Laboratories, 125 South Road, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, United States
| | - Zhi-Wei Lin
- Department
of Chemistry, University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, Kenan and Caudill Laboratories, 125 South Road, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, United States
| | - Nathan Ashbrook Whitman
- Department
of Chemistry, University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, Kenan and Caudill Laboratories, 125 South Road, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, United States
| | - Matthew R. Lockett
- Department
of Chemistry, University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, Kenan and Caudill Laboratories, 125 South Road, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, United States
- Lineberger
Comprehensive Cancer Center, University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 450 West Drive, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7295, United States
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4
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Banerjee M, Devi Rajeswari V. A novel cross-communication of HIF-1α and HIF-2α with Wnt signaling in TNBC and influence of hypoxic microenvironment in the formation of an organ-on-chip model of breast cancer. Med Oncol 2023; 40:245. [PMID: 37454033 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-023-02112-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The microenvironment role is very important in cancer development. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition of the cancer cells depends upon specific signaling and microenvironmental conditions, such as hypoxic conditions. The crosstalk between hypoxia and Wnt signaling through some molecular mechanism in TNBC is related. Cross-communication between hypoxia and Wnt signaling in cancer cells is known, but the detailed mechanism in TNBC is unknown. This review includes the role of the hypoxia microenvironment in TNBC and the novel crosstalk of the Wnt signaling and hypoxia. When targeted, the new pathway and crosstalk link may be a solution for metastatic TNBC and chemoresistance. The microenvironment influences cancer's metastasis, which changes from person to person. Therefore, organ-on-a-chip is a very novel model to test the drugs clinically before going for human trials, focusing on personalized medications can be done. The effect of the hypoxia microenvironment on breast cancer stem cells is still unknown. Apart from all the published papers, this paper mainly focuses only on the hypoxic microenvironment and its association with the growth of TNBC. The medicines or small proteins, drugs, mimics, and inhibitors targeting wnt and hypoxia genes are consolidated in this review paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manosi Banerjee
- Department of Biomedical Science, School of Bioscience and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - V Devi Rajeswari
- Department of Biomedical Science, School of Bioscience and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, 632014, Tamil Nadu, India.
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5
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Korbecki J, Bosiacki M, Barczak K, Łagocka R, Brodowska A, Chlubek D, Baranowska-Bosiacka I. Involvement in Tumorigenesis and Clinical Significance of CXCL1 in Reproductive Cancers: Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Endometrial Cancer, Ovarian Cancer and Prostate Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087262. [PMID: 37108425 PMCID: PMC10139049 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL1) is a member of the CXC chemokine subfamily and a ligand for CXCR2. Its main function in the immune system is the chemoattraction of neutrophils. However, there is a lack of comprehensive reviews summarizing the significance of CXCL1 in cancer processes. To fill this gap, this work describes the clinical significance and participation of CXCL1 in cancer processes in the most important reproductive cancers: breast cancer, cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, and prostate cancer. The focus is on both clinical aspects and the significance of CXCL1 in molecular cancer processes. We describe the association of CXCL1 with clinical features of tumors, including prognosis, ER, PR and HER2 status, and TNM stage. We present the molecular contribution of CXCL1 to chemoresistance and radioresistance in selected tumors and its influence on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of tumor cells. Additionally, we present the impact of CXCL1 on the microenvironment of reproductive cancers, including its effect on angiogenesis, recruitment, and function of cancer-associated cells (macrophages, neutrophils, MDSC, and Treg). The article concludes by summarizing the significance of introducing drugs targeting CXCL1. This paper also discusses the significance of ACKR1/DARC in reproductive cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Korbecki
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstańców Wlkp. 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, Collegium Medicum, University of Zielona Góra, Zyty 28 Str., 65-046 Zielona Góra, Poland
| | - Mateusz Bosiacki
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstańców Wlkp. 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
- Department of Functional Diagnostics and Physical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Żołnierska 54 Str., 71-210 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Barczak
- Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Pomeranian Medical University, Powstańców Wlkp. 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Ryta Łagocka
- Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Pomeranian Medical University, Powstańców Wlkp. 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Brodowska
- Department of Gynecology, Endocrinology and Gynecological Oncology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Dariusz Chlubek
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstańców Wlkp. 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Irena Baranowska-Bosiacka
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstańców Wlkp. 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
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6
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Munkácsy G, Santarpia L, Győrffy B. Therapeutic Potential of Tumor Metabolic Reprogramming in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24086945. [PMID: 37108109 PMCID: PMC10138520 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24086945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer, with clinical features of high metastatic potential, susceptibility to relapse, and poor prognosis. TNBC lacks the expression of the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). It is characterized by genomic and transcriptional heterogeneity and a tumor microenvironment (TME) with the presence of high levels of stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), immunogenicity, and an important immunosuppressive landscape. Recent evidence suggests that metabolic changes in the TME play a key role in molding tumor development by impacting the stromal and immune cell fractions, TME composition, and activation. Hence, a complex inter-talk between metabolic and TME signaling in TNBC exists, highlighting the possibility of uncovering and investigating novel therapeutic targets. A better understanding of the interaction between the TME and tumor cells, and the underlying molecular mechanisms of cell-cell communication signaling, may uncover additional targets for better therapeutic strategies in TNBC treatment. In this review, we aim to discuss the mechanisms in tumor metabolic reprogramming, linking these changes to potential targetable molecular mechanisms to generate new, physical science-inspired clinical translational insights for the cure of TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyöngyi Munkácsy
- National Laboratory for Drug Research and Development, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
- Oncology Biomarker Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Institute of Enzymology, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Balázs Győrffy
- Department of Bioinformatics, Semmelweis University, Tűzoltó u. 5-7, 1094 Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Pediatrics, Semmelweis University, Tűzoltó u. 5-7, 1094 Budapest, Hungary
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7
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Dhungel N, Youngblood R, Chu M, Carroll J, Dragoi AM. Assessing the epithelial-to-mesenchymal plasticity in a small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and lung fibroblasts co-culture model. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1096326. [PMID: 36936987 PMCID: PMC10022497 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1096326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is the source of important cues that govern epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and facilitate the acquisition of aggressive traits by cancer cells. It is now recognized that EMT is not a binary program, and cancer cells rarely switch to a fully mesenchymal phenotype. Rather, cancer cells exist in multiple hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M) states responsible for cell population heterogeneity, which is advantageous for the ever-changing environment during tumor development and metastasis. How are these intermediate states generated and maintained is not fully understood. Here, we show that direct interaction between small cell lung carcinoma cells and lung fibroblasts induces a hybrid EMT phenotype in cancer cells in which several mesenchymal genes involved in receptor interaction with the extracellular matrix (ECM) and ECM remodeling are upregulated while epithelial genes such as E-cadherin remain unchanged or slightly increase. We also demonstrate that several core EMT-regulating transcription factors (EMT-TFs) are upregulated in cancer cells during direct contact with fibroblasts, as is Yes-associated protein (YAP1), a major regulator of the Hippo pathway. Further, we show that these changes are transient and reverse to the initial state once the interaction is disrupted. Altogether, our results provide evidence that tumor cells' direct contact with the fibroblasts in the TME initiates a signaling cascade responsible for hybrid E/M states of cancer cells. These hybrid states are maintained during the interaction and possibly contribute to therapy resistance and immune evasion, while interference with direct contact will result in slow recovery and switch to the initial states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilu Dhungel
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, LSUHSC-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States
| | - Reneau Youngblood
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, LSUHSC-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States
| | - Min Chu
- Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, INLET Core, LSUHSC-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States
| | - Jennifer Carroll
- Center for Emerging Viral Threats (CEVT), LSUHSC-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States
| | - Ana-Maria Dragoi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, LSUHSC-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States
- Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, INLET Core, LSUHSC-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States
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8
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Olsson LT, Williams LA, Midkiff BR, Kirk EL, Troester MA, Calhoun BC. Quantitative analysis of breast cancer tissue composition and associations with tumor subtype. Hum Pathol 2022; 123:84-92. [PMID: 35218811 PMCID: PMC9050931 DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2022.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment is an important determinant of breast cancer progression, but standard methods for describing the tumor microenvironment are lacking. Measures of microenvironment composition such as stromal area and immune infiltrate are labor-intensive and few large studies have systematically collected this data. However, digital histologic approaches are becoming more widely available, allowing high-throughput, quantitative estimation. We applied such methods to tissue microarrays of tumors from 1687 women (mean 4 cores per case) in the Carolina Breast Cancer Study Phase 3. Tumor composition was quantified as percentage of epithelium, stroma, adipose, and lymphocytic infiltrate (with the latter as presence/absence using a ≥1% cutoff). Composition proportions and presence/absence were evaluated in association with clinical and molecular features of breast cancer (intrinsic subtype and RNA-based risk of recurrence [ROR] scores) using multivariable linear and logistic regression. Lower stromal content was associated with aggressive tumor phenotypes, including triple-negative (31.1% vs. 41.6% in HR+/HER2-; RFD [95% CI]: -10.5%, [-13.1, -7.9]), Basal-like subtypes (29.0% vs. 44.0% in Luminal A; RFD [95% CI]: -14.9%, [-17.8, -12.0]), and high RNA-based PAM50 ROR scores (27.6% vs. 48.1% in ROR low; RFD [95% CI]: -20.5%, [24.3, 16.7]), after adjusting for age and race. HER2+ tumors also had lower stromal content, particularly among RNA-based HER2-enriched (35.2% vs. 44.0% in Luminal A; RFD [95% CI]: -8.8%, [-13.8, -3.8]). Similar associations were observed between immune infiltrate and tumor phenotypes. Quantitative digital image analysis of the breast cancer microenvironment showed significant associations with demographic characteristics and biological indicators of aggressive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linnea T Olsson
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Lindsay A Williams
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Bentley R Midkiff
- Pathology Services Core, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Erin L Kirk
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Melissa A Troester
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Benjamin C Calhoun
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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9
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Fan Y, He S. The Characteristics of Tumor Microenvironment in Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Cancer Manag Res 2022; 14:1-17. [PMID: 35018117 PMCID: PMC8740624 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s316700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a special subtype of breast cancer, accounting for 10-20% of breast cancers with high intrinsic heterogeneity. Its unique immune microenvironment, including high expression of vascular endothelial growth factors, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and other molecules that promote the growth and migration of tumor cells, has been shown to play a dual role in the occurrence, growth, and metastasis of TNBC. Understanding the TNBC microenvironment is of great significance for the prognosis and treatment of TNBC. In this article, we describe the composition and function of immune cells in the TNBC microenvironment and summarize the major cytokine growth factors and chemokines in the TNBC microenvironment. Finally, we discuss the progress of TNBC, cytokine-induced killer cell therapy, and immune checkpoint therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqi Fan
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shuai He
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, People’s Republic of China
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10
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Suzuki J, Tsuboi M, Ishii G. Cancer-associated fibroblasts and the tumor microenvironment in non-small cell lung cancer. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2022; 22:169-182. [PMID: 34904919 DOI: 10.1080/14737140.2022.2019018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has a markedly poor prognosis as it progresses, and the prognosis is still unsatisfactory even with modern treatments. Cancer is composed of not only cancer cells, but also stroma consisting of various cell types. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a major component of the stroma and the associated tumor microenvironment (TME). Particularly, CAFs are a critical component in elucidating the biological mechanisms of cancer progression and new therapeutic targets. This article outlines the TME formed by CAFs in NSCLC. AREAS COVERED Focusing on the TME in NSCLC, we discuss the mechanisms by which CAFs are involved in cancer progression, drug resistance, and the development of therapies targeting CAFs. EXPERT OPINION In the TME, CAFs profoundly contribute to tumor progression by interacting with cancer cells through direct contact or paracrine cytokine signaling. CAFs also interact with various other stromal components to establish a tumor-promoting immunosuppressive microenvironment and remodel the extracellular matrix. Furthermore, these effects are closely associated with drug resistance. Further elucidation of the stromal microenvironment, including CAFs, could prove to be crucial in the treatment of NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Suzuki
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan.,Department of Pathology and Clinical Laboratories, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Masahiro Tsuboi
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Genichiro Ishii
- Department of Pathology and Clinical Laboratories, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan
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11
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Abd El-Aziz YS, Gillson J, Jansson PJ, Sahni S. Autophagy: A promising target for triple negative breast cancers. Pharmacol Res 2021; 175:106006. [PMID: 34843961 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.106006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive type of breast cancers which constitutes about 15% of all breast cancer cases and characterized by negative expression of hormonal receptors and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Thus, endocrine and HER2 targeted therapies are not effective toward TNBCs, and they mainly rely on chemotherapy and surgery for treatment. Despite recent advances in chemotherapy, 40% of TNBC patients develop a metastatic relapse and recurrence. Therefore, understanding the molecular profile of TNBC is warranted to identify targets that can be selected for the development of a new and effective therapeutic approach. Autophagy is an internal defensive mechanism that allows the cells to survive under different stressors. It has been well known that autophagy exerts a crucial role in cancer progression. The critical role of autophagy in TNBC progression is emerging in recent years. This review will discuss autophagic pathway, how autophagy affects TNBC progression and recent therapeutic approaches that can target autophagy as a new treatment modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yomna S Abd El-Aziz
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Kolling Institute of Medical Research, St Leonards, NSW, Australia; Oral Pathology Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Josef Gillson
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Kolling Institute of Medical Research, St Leonards, NSW, Australia
| | - Patric J Jansson
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Kolling Institute of Medical Research, St Leonards, NSW, Australia; Cancer Drug Resistance and Stem Cell Program, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Sumit Sahni
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Kolling Institute of Medical Research, St Leonards, NSW, Australia.
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12
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Ansardamavandi A, Tafazzoli-Shadpour M. The functional cross talk between cancer cells and cancer associated fibroblasts from a cancer mechanics perspective. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2021; 1868:119103. [PMID: 34293346 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2021.119103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The function of biological tissues in health and disease is regulated at cellular level and is highly influenced by the physical microenvironment, through the interaction of forces between cells and ECM, which are perceived through mechanosensing pathways. In cancer, both chemical and physical signaling cascades and their interactions are involved during cell-cell and cell-ECM communications to meet requirements of tumor growth. Among stroma cells, cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play key role in tumor growth and pave the way for cancer cells to initiate metastasis and invasion to other tissues, and without recruitment of CAFs, the process of cancer invasion is dysfunctional. This is through an intense chemical and physical cross talks with tumor cells, and interactive remodeling of ECM. During such interaction CAFs apply traction forces and depending on the mechanical properties, deform ECM and in return receive physical signals from the micromechanical environment. Such interaction leads to ECM remodeling by manipulating ECM structure and its mechanical properties. The results are in form of deposition of extra fibers, stiffening, rearrangement and reorganization of fibrous structure, and degradation which are due to a complex secretion and expression of different markers triggered by mechanosensing of tumor cells, specially CAFs. Such events define cancer progress and invasion of cancer cells. A systemic knowledge of chemical and physical factors provides a holistic view of how cancer process and enhances the current treatment methods to provide more diversity among targets that involves tumor cells and ECM structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arian Ansardamavandi
- Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
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13
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Svanström A, Rosendahl J, Salerno S, Leiva MC, Gregersson P, Berglin M, Bogestål Y, Lausmaa J, Oko A, Chinga-Carrasco G, Petronis S, Standoft S, Ståhlberg A, Håkansson J, Landberg G. Optimized alginate-based 3D printed scaffolds as a model of patient derived breast cancer microenvironments in drug discovery. Biomed Mater 2021; 16. [PMID: 34030145 DOI: 10.1088/1748-605x/ac0451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The cancer microenvironment influences tumor progression and metastasis and is pivotal to consider when designingin vivo-like cancer models. Current preclinical testing platforms for cancer drug development are mainly limited to 2D cell culture systems that poorly mimic physiological environments and traditional, low throughput animal models. The aim of this work was to produce a tunable testing platform based on 3D printed scaffolds (3DPS) with a simple geometry that, by extracellular components and response of breast cancer reporter cells, mimics patient-derived scaffolds (PDS) of breast cancer. Here, the biocompatible polysaccharide alginate was used as base material to generate scaffolds consisting of a 3D grid containing periostin and hydroxyapatite. Breast cancer cell lines (MCF7 and MDA-MB-231) produced similar phenotypes and gene expression levels of cancer stem cell, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, differentiation and proliferation markers when cultured on 3DPS and PDS, contrasting conventional 2D cultures. Importantly, cells cultured on 3DPS and PDS showed scaffold-specific responses to cytotoxic drugs (doxorubicin and 5-fluorouracil) that were different from 2D cultured cells. In conclusion, the data presented support the use of a tunable alginate-based 3DPS as a tumor model in breast cancer drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Svanström
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 1F, SE-41390 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jennifer Rosendahl
- Division Material and Production, Department of Chemistry, Biomaterials and Textile, Unit for Biological function, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Borås SE-50115, Sweden
| | - Simona Salerno
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 1F, SE-41390 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Maria Carmen Leiva
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 1F, SE-41390 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Pernilla Gregersson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 1F, SE-41390 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mattias Berglin
- Division Material and Production, Department of Chemistry, Biomaterials and Textile, Unit for Biological function, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Borås SE-50115, Sweden
| | - Yalda Bogestål
- Division Material and Production, Department of Chemistry, Biomaterials and Textile, Unit for Biological function, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Borås SE-50115, Sweden
| | - Jukka Lausmaa
- Division Material and Production, Department of Chemistry, Biomaterials and Textile, Unit for Biological function, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Borås SE-50115, Sweden
| | - Asaf Oko
- Division Material and Production, Department of Chemistry, Biomaterials and Textile, Unit for Biological function, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Borås SE-50115, Sweden
| | | | - Sarunas Petronis
- Division Material and Production, Department of Chemistry, Biomaterials and Textile, Unit for Biological function, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Borås SE-50115, Sweden
| | - Simon Standoft
- Division Material and Production, Department of Chemistry, Biomaterials and Textile, Unit for Biological function, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Borås SE-50115, Sweden
| | - Anders Ståhlberg
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 1F, SE-41390 Gothenburg, Sweden.,Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Clinical Genetics and Genomics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, SE-41390 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Joakim Håkansson
- Division Material and Production, Department of Chemistry, Biomaterials and Textile, Unit for Biological function, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Borås SE-50115, Sweden.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, PO Box 440, SE-40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Göran Landberg
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 1F, SE-41390 Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Clinical Pathology and Genetics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, SE-41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
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14
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Fuller AM, Yang L, Hamilton AM, Pirone JR, Oldenburg AL, Troester MA. Epithelial p53 Status Modifies Stromal-Epithelial Interactions During Basal-Like Breast Carcinogenesis. J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia 2021; 26:89-99. [PMID: 33439408 PMCID: PMC8715550 DOI: 10.1007/s10911-020-09477-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Basal-like breast cancers (BBC) exhibit subtype-specific phenotypic and transcriptional responses to stroma, but little research has addressed how stromal-epithelial interactions evolve during early BBC carcinogenesis. It is also unclear how common genetic defects, such as p53 mutations, modify these stromal-epithelial interactions. To address these knowledge gaps, we leveraged the MCF10 progression series of breast cell lines (MCF10A, MCF10AT1, and MCF10DCIS) to develop a longitudinal, tissue-contextualized model of p53-deficient, pre-malignant breast. Acinus asphericity, a morphogenetic correlate of cell invasive potential, was quantified with optical coherence tomography imaging, and gene expression microarrays were performed to identify transcriptional changes associated with p53 depletion and stromal context. Co-culture with stromal fibroblasts significantly increased the asphericity of acini derived from all three p53-deficient, but not p53-sufficient, cell lines, and was associated with the upregulation of 38 genes. When considered as a multigene score, these genes were upregulated in co-culture models of invasive BBC with increasing stromal content, as well as in basal-like relative to luminal breast cancers in two large human datasets. Taken together, stromal-epithelial interactions during early BBC carcinogenesis are dependent upon epithelial p53 status, and may play important roles in the acquisition of an invasive morphologic phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley M Fuller
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Penn Sarcoma Program, The University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Lin Yang
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Alina M Hamilton
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Jason R Pirone
- School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Nuventra Pharma Sciences, Durham, NC, 27713, USA
| | - Amy L Oldenburg
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Melissa A Troester
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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15
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Qattan A. Novel miRNA Targets and Therapies in the Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Microenvironment: An Emerging Hope for a Challenging Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21238905. [PMID: 33255471 PMCID: PMC7727826 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21238905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains challenging because of the heterogeneity of the disease and lack of single targetable driving mutations. TNBC does not rely on estrogen, progesterone or epidermal growth factor receptors and is associated with aggressive disease progression and poor prognosis. TNBC is also characterized by resistance to chemotherapeutics, and response to immunotherapies is limited despite promising results in a subset of TNBC patients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as significant drivers of tumorigenesis and tumor progression in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and present unique opportunities to target various components of the TNBC microenvironment for improved efficacy against this difficult to treat cancer. Effects of miRNAs on multiple targets may improve response rates in the context of this genetically and biologically heterogeneous disease. In this review, we offer a comprehensive view of miRNA regulation in TNBC, treatment challenges presented by TNBC in the context of the tumor microenvironment and stem cell subpopulations, and current and emerging miRNA-based therapeutic strategies targeting various components of the TNBC microenvironment. In addition, we offer insight into novel targets that have potential for treating TNBC through multiple mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment simultaneously and those that may be synergistic with standard chemotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amal Qattan
- Breast Cancer Research Unit, Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia; or
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), George Washington University, Washington, DC 20073, USA
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16
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Piasecka D, Braun M, Mieszkowska M, Kowalczyk L, Kopczynski J, Kordek R, Sadej R, Romanska HM. Upregulation of HIF1-α via an NF-κB/COX2 pathway confers proliferative dominance of HER2-negative ductal carcinoma in situ cells in response to inflammatory stimuli. Neoplasia 2020; 22:576-589. [PMID: 32980776 PMCID: PMC7522292 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2020.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
There are data to suggest that some ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) may evolve through an evolutionary bottleneck, where minor clones susceptible to the imposed selective pressure drive disease progression. Here, we tested the hypothesis that an impact of the inflammatory environment on DCIS evolution is HER2-dependent, conferring proliferative dominance of HER2-negative cells. In tissue samples, density of tumour-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) was associated only with high tumour nuclear grade, but in 9% of predominantly HER2-negative cases, the presence of tumoral foci ('hot-spots') of basal-like cells with HIF1-α activity adjacent to the areas of dense stromal infiltration was noted. Results of in vitro analyses further demonstrated that IL-1β and TNF-α as well as macrophage-conditioned medium triggered phosphorylation of NF-κB and subsequent upregulation of COX2 and HIF1-α, exclusively in HER2-negative cells. Treatment with both IL-1β and TNF-α resulted in growth stimulation and inhibition of HER2-negative and HER2-positive cells, respectively. Moreover, ectopic overexpression of HIF1-α rescued HER2-positive cells from the negative effect of IL-1β and TNF-α on cell growth. Our data provide novel insight into the molecular basis of HER2-dependent proliferation of DCIS cells and indicate the NF-κB/COX2 → HIF1-α signalling axis as a dominant mechanism of DCIS evolution induced by inflammatory microenvironment. Presented findings also highlight the clinical significance of heterogeneity of DCIS tumours and suggest that HIF1-α might be considered as a predictive marker of disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominika Piasecka
- Department of Pathology, Chair of Oncology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland; Department of Molecular Enzymology and Oncology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Marcin Braun
- Department of Pathology, Chair of Oncology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Magdalena Mieszkowska
- Department of Molecular Enzymology and Oncology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Lukasz Kowalczyk
- Department of Pathology, Chair of Oncology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Janusz Kopczynski
- Department of Surgical Pathology, Holycross Cancer Center, Kielce, Poland
| | - Radzislaw Kordek
- Department of Pathology, Chair of Oncology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Rafal Sadej
- Department of Molecular Enzymology and Oncology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
| | - Hanna M Romanska
- Department of Pathology, Chair of Oncology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
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17
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Suh J, Kim DH, Lee YH, Jang JH, Surh YJ. Fibroblast growth factor-2, derived from cancer-associated fibroblasts, stimulates growth and progression of human breast cancer cells via FGFR1 signaling. Mol Carcinog 2020; 59:1028-1040. [PMID: 32557854 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) constitute a major compartment of the tumor microenvironment. In the present study, we investigated the role for CAFs in breast cancer progression and underlying molecular mechanisms. Human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells treated with the CAF-conditioned media manifested a more proliferative phenotype, as evidenced by enhanced messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of Cyclin D1, c-Myc, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Analysis of data from The Cancer Genome Atlas revealed that fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) expression was well correlated with the presence of CAFs. We noticed that the mRNA level of FGF2 in CAFs was higher than that in normal fibroblasts. FGF2 exerts its biological effects through interaction with FGF receptor 1 (FGFR1). In the breast cancer tissue array, 42% estrogen receptor-negative patients coexpressed FGF2 and FGFR1, whereas only 19% estrogen receptor-positive patients exhibited coexpression. CAF-stimulated MDA-MB-231 cell migration and invasiveness were abolished when FGF2-neutralizing antibody was added to the conditioned media of CAFs. In a xenograft mouse model, coinjection of MDA-MB-231 cells with activated fibroblasts expressing FGF2 dramatically enhanced tumor growth, and this was abrogated by silencing of FGFR1 in cancer cells. In addition, treatment of MDA-MB-231 cells with FGF2 enhanced expression of Cyclin D1, a key molecule involved in cell cycle progression. FGF2-induced cell migration and upregulation of Cyclin D1 were abolished by siRNA-mediated FGFR1 silencing. Taken together, the above findings suggest that CAFs promote growth, migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells via the paracrine FGF2-FGFR1 loop in the breast tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyoung Suh
- Tumor Microenvironment Global Core Research Center and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Do-Hee Kim
- Department of Chemistry, College of Convergence and Integrated Science, Kyonggi University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
| | - Yeon-Hwa Lee
- Tumor Microenvironment Global Core Research Center and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jeong-Hoon Jang
- Tumor Microenvironment Global Core Research Center and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Young-Joon Surh
- Tumor Microenvironment Global Core Research Center and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.,Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
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18
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Hou A, Hou K, Huang Q, Lei Y, Chen W. Targeting Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cell, a Promising Strategy to Overcome Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. Front Immunol 2020. [PMID: 32508809 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00783.] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are starting to transform the treatment for patients with advanced cancer. The extensive application of these antibodies for various cancer obtains exciting anti-tumor immune response by activating T cells. Although the encouraging clinical benefit in patients receiving these immunostimulatory agents are observed, numbers of patients still derive limited response or even none for reasons unknown, sometimes at the cost of adverse reactions. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) is a heterogeneous immature population of myeloid cells partly influencing the efficacy of immunotherapies. These cells not only directly suppress T cell but mediate a potently immunosuppressive network within tumor microenvironment to attenuate the anti-tumor response. The crosstalk between MDSCs and immune cells/non-immune cells generates several positive feedbacks to negatively modulate the tumor microenvironment. As such, the recruitment of immunosuppressive cells, upregulation of immune checkpoints, angiogenesis and hypoxia are induced and contributing to the acquired resistance to ICIs. Targeting MDSCs could be a potential therapy to overcome the limitation. In this review, we focus on the role of MDSCs in resistance to ICIs and summarize the therapeutic strategies targeting them to enhance ICIs efficiency in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aohan Hou
- Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Kaiyu Hou
- Department of Bone and Trauma, The Second People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Qiubo Huang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University and Yunnan Cancer Center, Kunming, China
| | - Yujie Lei
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University and Yunnan Cancer Center, Kunming, China
| | - Wanling Chen
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University and Yunnan Cancer Center, Kunming, China
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19
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Hou A, Hou K, Huang Q, Lei Y, Chen W. Targeting Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cell, a Promising Strategy to Overcome Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. Front Immunol 2020; 11:783. [PMID: 32508809 PMCID: PMC7249937 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are starting to transform the treatment for patients with advanced cancer. The extensive application of these antibodies for various cancer obtains exciting anti-tumor immune response by activating T cells. Although the encouraging clinical benefit in patients receiving these immunostimulatory agents are observed, numbers of patients still derive limited response or even none for reasons unknown, sometimes at the cost of adverse reactions. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) is a heterogeneous immature population of myeloid cells partly influencing the efficacy of immunotherapies. These cells not only directly suppress T cell but mediate a potently immunosuppressive network within tumor microenvironment to attenuate the anti-tumor response. The crosstalk between MDSCs and immune cells/non-immune cells generates several positive feedbacks to negatively modulate the tumor microenvironment. As such, the recruitment of immunosuppressive cells, upregulation of immune checkpoints, angiogenesis and hypoxia are induced and contributing to the acquired resistance to ICIs. Targeting MDSCs could be a potential therapy to overcome the limitation. In this review, we focus on the role of MDSCs in resistance to ICIs and summarize the therapeutic strategies targeting them to enhance ICIs efficiency in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aohan Hou
- Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Kaiyu Hou
- Department of Bone and Trauma, The Second People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Qiubo Huang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University and Yunnan Cancer Center, Kunming, China
| | - Yujie Lei
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University and Yunnan Cancer Center, Kunming, China
| | - Wanling Chen
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University and Yunnan Cancer Center, Kunming, China
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20
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Poudel P, Nyamundanda G, Patil Y, Cheang MCU, Sadanandam A. Heterocellular gene signatures reveal luminal-A breast cancer heterogeneity and differential therapeutic responses. NPJ Breast Cancer 2019; 5:21. [PMID: 31396557 PMCID: PMC6677833 DOI: 10.1038/s41523-019-0116-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease. Although differences between intrinsic breast cancer subtypes have been well studied, heterogeneity within each subtype, especially luminal-A cancers, requires further interrogation to personalize disease management. Here, we applied well-characterized and cancer-associated heterocellular signatures representing stem, mesenchymal, stromal, immune, and epithelial cell types to breast cancer. This analysis stratified the luminal-A breast cancer samples into five subtypes with a majority of them enriched for a subtype (stem-like) that has increased stem and stromal cell gene signatures, representing potential luminal progenitor origin. The enrichment of immune checkpoint genes and other immune cell types in two (including stem-like) of the five heterocellular subtypes of luminal-A tumors suggest their potential response to immunotherapy. These immune-enriched subtypes of luminal-A tumors (containing only estrogen receptor positive samples) showed good or intermediate prognosis along with the two other differentiated subtypes as assessed using recurrence-free and distant metastasis-free patient survival outcomes. On the other hand, a partially differentiated subtype of luminal-A breast cancer with transit-amplifying colon-crypt characteristics showed poor prognosis. Furthermore, published luminal-A subtypes associated with specific somatic copy number alterations and mutations shared similar cellular and mutational characteristics to colorectal cancer subtypes where the heterocellular signatures were derived. These heterocellular subtypes reveal transcriptome and cell-type based heterogeneity of luminal-A and other breast cancer subtypes that may be useful for additional understanding of the cancer type and potential patient stratification and personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawan Poudel
- Division of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Gift Nyamundanda
- Division of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- Centre for Molecular Pathology, Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK
| | - Yatish Patil
- Division of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- Centre for Molecular Pathology, Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK
| | | | - Anguraj Sadanandam
- Division of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- Centre for Molecular Pathology, Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK
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21
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Acquired resistance to cancer immunotherapy: Role of tumor-mediated immunosuppression. Semin Cancer Biol 2019; 65:13-27. [PMID: 31362073 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2019.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2019] [Revised: 07/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In the tumor microenvironment (TME), tumor cells are constantly evolving to reduce neoantigen generation and the mutational burden to escape the anti-tumor response. This will lower tumor reactivity to the adaptive immune response and give rise to tumor intrinsic factors, such as altered expression of immune regulatory molecules on tumor cells. Tumor-extrinsic factors, such as immunosuppressive cells, soluble suppressive molecules or inhibitory receptors expressed by immune cells will alter the composition and activity of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) (by increasing T regulatory cells:T effector cells ratio and inhibiting T effector cell function) and promote tumor growth and metastasis. Together, these factors limit the response rates and clinical outcomes to a particular cancer therapy. Within the TME, the cross-talks between immune and non-immune cells result in the generation of positive feedback loops, which augment immunosuppression and support tumor growth and survival (termed as tumor-mediated immunosuppression). Cancer immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and adoptive cell transfer (ACT), have shown therapeutic efficacy in hematologic cancers and different types of solid tumors. However, achieving durable response rates in some cancer patients remains a challenge as a result of acquired resistance and tumor immune evasion. This could be driven by the cellular and molecular suppressive network within the TME or due to the loss of tumor antigens. In this review, we describe the contribution of the immunosuppressive cellular and molecular tumor network to the development of acquired resistance against cancer immunotherapies. We also discuss potential combined therapeutic strategies which could help to overcome such resistance against cancer immunotherapies, and to enhance anti-tumor immune responses and improve clinical outcomes in patients.
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22
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Truong DD, Kratz A, Park JG, Barrientos ES, Saini H, Nguyen T, Pockaj B, Mouneimne G, LaBaer J, Nikkhah M. A Human Organotypic Microfluidic Tumor Model Permits Investigation of the Interplay between Patient-Derived Fibroblasts and Breast Cancer Cells. Cancer Res 2019; 79:3139-3151. [PMID: 30992322 PMCID: PMC6664809 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-18-2293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Tumor-stroma interactions significantly influence cancer cell metastasis and disease progression. These interactions are partly comprised of the cross-talk between tumor and stromal fibroblasts, but the key molecular mechanisms within the cross-talk that govern cancer invasion are still unclear. Here, we adapted our previously developed microfluidic device as a 3D in vitro organotypic model to mechanistically study tumor-stroma interactions by mimicking the spatial organization of the tumor microenvironment on a chip. We cocultured breast cancer and patient-derived fibroblast cells in 3D tumor and stroma regions, respectively, and combined functional assessments, including cancer cell migration, with transcriptome profiling to unveil the molecular influence of tumor-stroma cross-talk on invasion. This led to the observation that cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) enhanced invasion in 3D by inducing expression of a novel gene of interest, glycoprotein nonmetastatic B (GPNMB), in breast cancer cells, resulting in increased migration speed. Importantly, knockdown of GPNMB blunted the influence of CAF on enhanced cancer invasion. Overall, these results demonstrate the ability of our model to recapitulate patient-specific tumor microenvironments to investigate the cellular and molecular consequences of tumor-stroma interactions. SIGNIFICANCE: An organotypic model of tumor-stroma interactions on a microfluidic chip reveals that CAFs promote invasion by enhancing expression of GPNMB in breast cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danh D Truong
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Alexander Kratz
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Jin G Park
- Virginia G. Piper Biodesign Center for Personalized Diagnostics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Eric S Barrientos
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Harpinder Saini
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Toan Nguyen
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | | | | | - Joshua LaBaer
- Virginia G. Piper Biodesign Center for Personalized Diagnostics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Mehdi Nikkhah
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona.
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23
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Liubomirski Y, Lerrer S, Meshel T, Rubinstein-Achiasaf L, Morein D, Wiemann S, Körner C, Ben-Baruch A. Tumor-Stroma-Inflammation Networks Promote Pro-metastatic Chemokines and Aggressiveness Characteristics in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Front Immunol 2019; 10:757. [PMID: 31031757 PMCID: PMC6473166 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays key roles in promoting disease progression in the aggressive triple-negative subtype of breast cancer (TNBC; Basal/Basal-like). Here, we took an integrative approach and determined the impact of tumor-stroma-inflammation networks on pro-metastatic phenotypes in TNBC. With the TCGA dataset we found that the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and interleukin 1β (IL-1β), as well as their target pro-metastatic chemokines CXCL8 (IL-8), CCL2 (MCP-1), and CCL5 (RANTES) were expressed at significantly higher levels in basal patients than luminal-A patients. Then, we found that TNFα- or IL-1β-stimulated co-cultures of TNBC cells (MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, BT-549) with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) expressed significantly higher levels of CXCL8 compared to non-stimulated co-cultures or each cell type alone, with or without cytokine stimulation. CXCL8 was also up-regulated in TNBC co-cultures with breast cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) derived from patients. CCL2 and CCL5 also reached the highest expression levels in TNFα/IL-1β-stimulated TNBC:MSC/CAF co-cultures. The elevations in CXCL8 and CCL2 expression partly depended on direct physical contacts between the tumor cells and the MSCs/CAFs, whereas CCL5 up-regulation was entirely dependent on cell-to-cell contacts. Supernatants of TNFα-stimulated TNBC:MSC "Contact" co-cultures induced robust endothelial cell migration and sprouting. TNBC cells co-cultured with MSCs and TNFα gained migration-related morphology and potent migratory properties; they also became more invasive when co-cultured with MSCs/CAFs in the presence of TNFα. Using siRNA to CXCL8, we found that CXCL8 was significantly involved in mediating the pro-metastatic activities gained by TNFα-stimulated TNBC:MSC "Contact" co-cultures: angiogenesis, migration-related morphology of the tumor cells, as well as cancer cell migration and invasion. Importantly, TNFα stimulation of TNBC:MSC "Contact" co-cultures in vitro has increased the aggressiveness of the tumor cells in vivo, leading to higher incidence of mice with lung metastases than non-stimulated TNBC:MSC co-cultures. Similar tumor-stromal-inflammation networks established in-culture with luminal-A cells demonstrated less effective or differently-active pro-metastatic functions than those of TNBC cells. Overall, our studies identify novel tumor-stroma-inflammation networks that may promote TNBC aggressiveness by increasing the pro-malignancy potential of the TME and of the tumor cells themselves, and reveal key roles for CXCL8 in mediating these metastasis-promoting activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulia Liubomirski
- School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shalom Lerrer
- School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tsipi Meshel
- School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Linor Rubinstein-Achiasaf
- School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Dina Morein
- School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Stefan Wiemann
- Division of Molecular Genome Analysis, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Cindy Körner
- Division of Molecular Genome Analysis, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Adit Ben-Baruch
- School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Alzubi MA, Turner TH, Olex AL, Sohal SS, Tobin NP, Recio SG, Bergh J, Hatschek T, Parker JS, Sartorius CA, Perou CM, Dozmorov MG, Harrell JC. Separation of breast cancer and organ microenvironment transcriptomes in metastases. Breast Cancer Res 2019; 21:36. [PMID: 30841919 PMCID: PMC6404325 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-019-1123-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The seed and soil hypothesis was proposed over a century ago to describe why cancer cells (seeds) grow in certain organs (soil). Since then, the genetic properties that define the cancer cells have been heavily investigated; however, genomic mediators within the organ microenvironment that mediate successful metastatic growth are less understood. These studies sought to identify cancer- and organ-specific genomic programs that mediate metastasis. Methods In these studies, a set of 14 human breast cancer patient-derived xenograft (PDX) metastasis models was developed and then tested for metastatic tropism with two approaches: spontaneous metastases from mammary tumors and intravenous injection of PDX cells. The transcriptomes of the cancer cells when growing as tumors or metastases were separated from the transcriptomes of the microenvironment via species-specific separation of the genomes. Drug treatment of PDX spheroids was performed to determine if genes activated in metastases may identify targetable mediators of viability. Results The experimental approaches that generated metastases in PDX models were identified. RNA sequencing of 134 tumors, metastases, and normal non-metastatic organs identified cancer- and organ-specific genomic properties that mediated metastasis. A common genomic response of the liver microenvironment was found to occur in reaction to the invading PDX cells. Genes within the cancer cells were found to be either transiently regulated by the microenvironment or permanently altered due to clonal selection of metastatic sublines. Gene Set Enrichment Analyses identified more than 400 gene signatures that were commonly activated in metastases across basal-like PDXs. A Src signaling signature was found to be extensively upregulated in metastases, and Src inhibitors were found to be cytotoxic to PDX spheroids. Conclusions These studies identified that during the growth of breast cancer metastases, there were genomic changes that occurred within both the cancer cells and the organ microenvironment. We hypothesize that pathways upregulated in metastases are mediators of viability and that simultaneously targeting changes within different cancer cell pathways and/or different tissue compartments may be needed for inhibition of disease progression. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13058-019-1123-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad A Alzubi
- Department of Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.,Integrative Life Sciences Program, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Tia H Turner
- Department of Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.,C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Amy L Olex
- C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Sahib S Sohal
- Department of Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Nicholas P Tobin
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Cancer Center Karolinska, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Susana G Recio
- Department of Genetics, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Jonas Bergh
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Cancer Center Karolinska, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas Hatschek
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Cancer Center Karolinska, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Joel S Parker
- Department of Genetics, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Carol A Sartorius
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Charles M Perou
- Department of Genetics, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Mikhail G Dozmorov
- Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - J Chuck Harrell
- Department of Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA. .,Integrative Life Sciences Program, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA. .,C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA. .,Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
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25
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Kenney RM, Loeser A, Whitman NA, Lockett MR. Paper-based Transwell assays: an inexpensive alternative to study cellular invasion. Analyst 2018; 144:206-211. [PMID: 30328422 PMCID: PMC6296866 DOI: 10.1039/c8an01157e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Cellular movement is essential in the formation and maintenance of healthy tissues as well as in disease progression such as tumor metastasis. In this work, we describe a paper-based Transwell assay capable of quantifying cellular invasion through an extracellular matrix. The paper-based Transwell assays generate similar datasets, with equivalent reproducibility, to commercially available Transwell assays. With different culture configurations, we quantify invasion: upon addition of an exogenous factor or in the presence of medium obtained from other cell types, in an indirect or direct co-culture format whose medium composition is dynamically changing, and in a single-zone or parallel (96-zone) format.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael M Kenney
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 125 South Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3290, USA.
| | - Adam Loeser
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 125 South Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3290, USA.
| | - Nathan A Whitman
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 125 South Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3290, USA.
| | - Matthew R Lockett
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 125 South Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3290, USA. and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 450 West Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7295, USA
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26
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Stable Isotope-Resolved Metabolomic Differences between Hormone-Responsive and Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cell Lines. Int J Breast Cancer 2018; 2018:2063540. [PMID: 30363973 PMCID: PMC6186330 DOI: 10.1155/2018/2063540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To conduct an exploratory study to identify mechanisms that differentiate Luminal A (BT474 and MCF-7) and triple-negative (MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468) breast cancer (BCa) cell lines to potentially provide novel therapeutic targets based on differences in energy utilization. Methods Cells were cultured in media containing either [U-13C]-glucose or [U-13C]-glutamine for 48 hours. Conditioned media and cellular extracts were analyzed by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Results MCF-7 cells consumed the most glucose, producing the most lactate, demonstrating the greatest Warburg effect-associated energy utilization. BT474 cells had the highest tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) activity. The majority of energy utilization patterns in MCF-7 cells were more similar to MDA-MB-468 cells, while the patterns for BT474 cells were more similar to MDA-MB-231 cells. Compared to the Luminal A cell lines, TNBC cell lines consumed more glutamine and less glucose. BT474 and MDA-MB-468 cells produced high amounts of 13C-glycine from media [U-13C]-glucose which was integrated into glutathione, indicating de novo synthesis. Conclusions Stable isotopic resolved metabolomics using 13C substrates provided mechanistic information about energy utilization that was difficult to interpret using 1H data alone. Overall, cell lines that have different hormone receptor status have different energy utilization requirements, even if they are classified by the same clinical BCa subtype; and these differences offer clues about optimizing treatment strategies.
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Abstract
In situ measurements of diffusive particle transport provide insight into tissue architecture, drug delivery, and cellular function. Analogous to diffusion-tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT-MRI), where the anisotropic diffusion of water molecules is mapped on the millimeter scale to elucidate the fibrous structure of tissue, here we propose diffusion-tensor optical coherence tomography (DT-OCT) for measuring directional diffusivity and flow of optically scattering particles within tissue. Because DT-OCT is sensitive to the sub-resolution motion of Brownian particles as they are constrained by tissue macromolecules, it has the potential to quantify nanoporous anisotropic tissue structure at micrometer resolution as relevant to extracellular matrices, neurons, and capillaries. Here we derive the principles of DT-OCT, relating the detected optical signal from a minimum of six probe beams with the six unique diffusion tensor and three flow vector components. The optimal geometry of the probe beams is determined given a finite numerical aperture, and a high-speed hardware implementation is proposed. Finally, Monte Carlo simulations are employed to assess the ability of the proposed DT-OCT system to quantify anisotropic diffusion of nanoparticles in a collagen matrix, an extracellular constituent that is known to become highly aligned during tumor development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L Marks
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, 101 Science Drive, Durham NC 27708, United States of America
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28
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Ham SL, Thakuri PS, Plaster M, Li J, Luker KE, Luker GD, Tavana H. Three-dimensional tumor model mimics stromal - breast cancer cells signaling. Oncotarget 2017; 9:249-267. [PMID: 29416611 PMCID: PMC5787462 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.22922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor stroma is a major contributor to the biological aggressiveness of cancer cells. Cancer cells induce activation of normal fibroblasts to carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which promote survival, proliferation, metastasis, and drug resistance of cancer cells. A better understanding of these interactions could lead to new, targeted therapies for cancers with limited treatment options, such as triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). To overcome limitations of standard monolayer cell cultures and xenograft models that lack tumor complexity and/or human stroma, we have developed a high throughput tumor spheroid technology utilizing a polymeric aqueous two-phase system to conveniently model interactions of CAFs and TNBC cells and quantify effects on signaling and drug resistance of cancer cells. We focused on signaling by chemokine CXCL12, a hallmark molecule secreted by CAFs, and receptor CXCR4, a driver of tumor progression and metastasis in TNBC. Using three-dimensional stromal-TNBC cells cultures, we demonstrate that CXCL12 – CXCR4 signaling significantly increases growth of TNBC cells and drug resistance through activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathways. Despite resistance to standard chemotherapy, upregulation of MAPK and PI3K signaling sensitizes TNBC cells in co-culture spheroids to specific inhibitors of these kinase pathways. Furthermore, disrupting CXCL12 – CXCR4 signaling diminishes drug resistance of TNBC cells in co-culture spheroid models. This work illustrates the capability to identify mechanisms of drug resistance and overcome them using our engineered model of tumor-stromal interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Lemmo Ham
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Pradip Shahi Thakuri
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Madison Plaster
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
| | - Kathryn E Luker
- Department of Radiology, Microbiology and Immunology, Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Gary D Luker
- Department of Radiology, Microbiology and Immunology, Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Hossein Tavana
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
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Wang J, Lee JS, Kim D, Zhu L. Exploration of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles as a Multitarget and Multifunctional Anticancer Nanomedicine. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:39971-39984. [PMID: 29076344 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b11219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Because of the complexity of cancer, an ideal anticancer strategy is better to target both cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment. In this study, for the first time, we demonstrated that zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were able to target multiple cell types of cancer, including cancer cells, cancer stem cells (CSCs), and macrophages, and simultaneously perform several key functions, including inhibition of cancer proliferation, sensitization of drug-resistant cancer, prevention of cancer recurrence and metastasis, and resuscitation of cancer immunosurveillance. As a nanocarrier, the chemotherapy drug, doxorubicin (Dox), could be loaded to ZnO NPs and the Dox-loaded ZnO NPs (ZnO/Dox) possessed excellent physicochemical and pH-responsive drug release properties. ZnO/Dox could be effectively internalized by both drug-sensitive and multidrug resistant (MDR) cancer cells and penetrate more efficiently through three-dimensional (3D) cancer cell spheroids compared with free Dox. As a cytotoxic agent, ZnO NPs were more efficient to kill MDR cancer cells. Interestingly, neither ZnO nor Dox showed high cytotoxicity in the 3D cancer cell spheroids, whereas ZnO/Dox showed remarkable synergistic anticancer effects. More importantly, we demonstrated that ZnO NPs could effectively downregulate CD44, a key CSC surface marker, and decrease the stemness of CSCs, leading to the sensitization of the Dox treatment, inhibition of the cancer cell adhesion and migration, and prevention of the tumor (3D cancer cell spheroid) formation. As an immunomodulator, ZnO NPs could protect macrophages from the Dox-induced toxicity and boost the Dox-induced macrophage polarization toward an M1-like phenotype. The macrophage-conditioned medium could promote the cancer cell apoptosis in both cancer cell monolayers and 3D spheroids. The findings in this study indicated that ZnO NPs were a multifunctional and multitarget nanocarrier and nanomedicine that would have more profound effects on cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, Texas A&M University Health Science Center , Kingsville, Texas 78363, United States
| | - Jung Seok Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering & Applied Science, Yale University , New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Dongin Kim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, Texas A&M University Health Science Center , Kingsville, Texas 78363, United States
| | - Lin Zhu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, Texas A&M University Health Science Center , Kingsville, Texas 78363, United States
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Rijal G, Li W. A versatile 3D tissue matrix scaffold system for tumor modeling and drug screening. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2017; 3:e1700764. [PMID: 28924608 PMCID: PMC5597314 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1700764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/14/2017] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Most of the anticancer drug candidates entering preclinical trials fail to be approved for clinical applications. The following are among the main causes of these failures: studying molecular mechanisms of cancer development, identifying therapeutic targets, and testing drug candidates using inappropriate tissue culture models, which do not recapitulate the native microenvironment where the cancer cells originate. It has become clear that three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures are more biologically and clinically relevant than 2D models. The spatial and mechanical conditions of 3D cultures enable the cancer cells to display heterogeneous growth, assume diverse phenotypes, express distinct gene and protein products, and attain metastatic potential and resistance to drugs that are reminiscent of tumors in humans. However, the current 3D culture systems using synthetic polymers or selected components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) are defective (particularly the biophysical and biochemical properties of the native ECM) and remain distant to optimally support the signaling cue-oriented cell survival and growth. We introduce a reconstitutable tissue matrix scaffold (TMS) system fabricated using native tissue ECM, with tissue-like architecture and resilience. The structural and compositional properties of TMS favor robust cell survival, proliferation, migration, and invasion in culture and vascularized tumor formation in animals. The combination of porous and hydrogel TMS allows compartmental culture of cancerous and stromal cells, which are distinguishable by biomarkers. The response of the cancer cells grown on TMS to drugs well reflects animal and clinical observations. TMS enables more biologically relevant studies and is suitable for preclinical drug screening.
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31
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Hara T, Iwadate M, Tachibana K, Waguri S, Takenoshita S, Hamada N. Metastasis of breast cancer cells to the bone, lung, and lymph nodes promotes resistance to ionizing radiation. Strahlenther Onkol 2017. [PMID: 28642964 DOI: 10.1007/s00066-017-1165-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metastasis represents the leading cause of breast cancer deaths, necessitating strategies for its treatment. Although radiotherapy is employed for both primary and metastatic breast cancers, the difference in their ionizing radiation response remains incompletely understood. This study is the first to compare the radioresponse of a breast cancer cell line with its metastatic variants and report that such metastatic variants are more radioresistant. MATERIALS AND METHODS A luciferase expressing cell line was established from human basal-like breast adenocarcinoma MDA-MB-231 and underwent in vivo selections, whereby a cycle of inoculations into the left cardiac ventricle or the mammary fat pad of athymic nude mice, isolation of metastases to the bone, lung and lymph nodes visualized with bioluminescence imaging, and expansion of obtained cells was repeated twice or three times. The established metastatic cell lines were assessed for cell proliferation, wound healing, invasion, clonogenic survival, and apoptosis. RESULTS The established metastatic cell lines possessed an increased proliferative potential in vivo and were more chemotactic, invasive, and resistant to X‑ray-induced clonogenic inactivation and apoptosis in vitro. CONCLUSION Breast cancer metastasis to the bone, lung, and lymph nodes promotes radioresistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takamitsu Hara
- Department of Radiological Technology, School of Radiological Technology, Gunma Prefectural College of Health Sciences, 1-323 Kamioki, 371-0052, Gunma, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Manabu Iwadate
- Department of Thyroid and Endocrinology, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikarigaoka, 960-1295, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Kazunoshin Tachibana
- Department of Breast Surgery, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikarigaoka, 960-1295, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Satoshi Waguri
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikarigaoka, 960-1295, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Seiichi Takenoshita
- Advanced Clinical Research Center, Fukushima Global Medical Science Center, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikarigaoka, 960-1295, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Hamada
- Radiation Safety Research Center, Nuclear Technology Research Laboratory, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), 2-11-1 Iwado-kita, 201-8511, Tokyo, Komae, Japan.
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Blackmon RL, Sandhu R, Chapman BS, Casbas-Hernandez P, Tracy JB, Troester MA, Oldenburg AL. Imaging Extracellular Matrix Remodeling In Vitro by Diffusion-Sensitive Optical Coherence Tomography. Biophys J 2017; 110:1858-1868. [PMID: 27119645 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2016.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2015] [Revised: 02/03/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The mammary gland extracellular matrix (ECM) is comprised of biopolymers, primarily collagen I, that are created and maintained by stromal fibroblasts. ECM remodeling by fibroblasts results in changes in ECM fiber spacing (pores) that have been shown to play a critical role in the aggressiveness of breast cancer. However, minimally invasive methods to measure the spatial distribution of ECM pore areas within tissues and in vitro 3D culture models are currently lacking. We introduce diffusion-sensitive optical coherence tomography (DS-OCT) to image the nanoscale porosity of ECM by sensing weakly constrained diffusion of gold nanorods (GNRs). DS-OCT combines the principles of low-coherence interferometry and heterodyne dynamic light scattering. By collecting co- and cross-polarized light backscattered from GNRs within tissue culture, the ensemble-averaged translational self-diffusion rate, DT, of GNRs is resolved within ∼3 coherence volumes (10 × 5 μm, x × z). As GNRs are slowed by intermittent collisions with ECM fibers, DT is sensitive to ECM porosity on the size scale of their hydrodynamic diameter (∼46 nm). Here, we validate the utility of DS-OCT using pure collagen I gels and 3D mammary fibroblast cultures seeded in collagen/Matrigel, and associate differences in artificial ECM pore areas with gel concentration and cell seed density. Across all samples, DT was highly correlated with pore area obtained by scanning electron microscopy (R(2) = 0.968). We also demonstrate that DS-OCT can accurately map the spatial heterogeneity of layered samples. Importantly, DS-OCT of 3D mammary fibroblast cultures revealed the impact of fibroblast remodeling, where the spatial heterogeneity of matrix porosity was found to increase with cell density. This provides an unprecedented view into nanoscale changes in artificial ECM porosity over effective pore diameters ranging from ∼43 to 360 nm using a micron-scale optical imaging technique. In combination with the topical deposition of GNRs, the minimally invasive nature of DS-OCT makes this a promising technology for studying tissue remodeling processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard L Blackmon
- Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Rupninder Sandhu
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Brian S Chapman
- Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
| | | | - Joseph B Tracy
- Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
| | - Melissa A Troester
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Amy L Oldenburg
- Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
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Yu T, Di G. Role of tumor microenvironment in triple-negative breast cancer and its prognostic significance. Chin J Cancer Res 2017; 29:237-252. [PMID: 28729775 PMCID: PMC5497211 DOI: 10.21147/j.issn.1000-9604.2017.03.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer has been shown to live in the tumor microenvironment, which consists of not only breast cancer cells themselves but also a significant amount of pathophysiologically altered surrounding stroma and cells. Diverse components of the breast cancer microenvironment, such as suppressive immune cells, re-programmed fibroblast cells, altered extracellular matrix (ECM) and certain soluble factors, synergistically impede an effective anti-tumor response and promote breast cancer progression and metastasis. Among these components, stromal cells in the breast cancer microenvironment are characterized by molecular alterations and aberrant signaling pathways, whereas the ECM features biochemical and biomechanical changes. However, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), the most aggressive subtype of this disease that lacks effective therapies available for other subtypes, is considered to feature a unique microenvironment distinct from that of other subtypes, especially compared to Luminal A subtype. Because these changes are now considered to significantly impact breast cancer development and progression, these unique alterations may serve as promising prognostic factors of clinical outcome or potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of TNBC. In this review, we focus on the composition of the TNBC microenvironment, concomitant distinct biological alteration, specific interplay between various cell types and TNBC cells, and the prognostic implications of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianjian Yu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Genhong Di
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
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Decreased Expression of TMEM173 Predicts Poor Prognosis in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0165681. [PMID: 27814372 PMCID: PMC5096716 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 10/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal cancer types, and chronic infection with Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is identified as the strongest risk factor for HCC. Transmembrane Protein 173 (TMEM173) is a pattern recognition receptor which functions as a major regulator of the innate immune response to viral and bacterial infections. However, the prognostic value of TMEM173 in HCC remains elusive. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the potential prognostic significance of TMEM173 expression in HCC patients following curative resection. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect TMEM173 expression in 96 HCC patients. We found that TMEM173 protein expression was remarkably decreased in tumor tissues compared to non-tumor tissues, and that TMEM173 staining intensity was inversely correlated with tumor size, tumor invasion TNM stage and overall survival (OS) in HCC patients. Multivariate analysis supported TMEM173 as an independent prognostic factor, and identified that combining TMEM173 expression with TNM stage showed better prognostic efficiency for OS in HCC patients. In summary, TMEM173 was discovered having an independent prognostic value and may serve as a potential immunotherapeutic target for HCC.
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Burks HE, Phamduy TB, Azimi MS, Saksena J, Burow ME, Collins-Burow BM, Chrisey DB, Murfee WL. Laser Direct-Write Onto Live Tissues: A Novel Model for Studying Cancer Cell Migration. J Cell Physiol 2016; 231:2333-8. [PMID: 26923437 PMCID: PMC4946993 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.25363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Investigation into the mechanisms driving cancer cell behavior and the subsequent development of novel targeted therapeutics requires comprehensive experimental models that mimic the complexity of the tumor microenvironment. Recently, our laboratories have combined a novel tissue culture model and laser direct-write, a form of bioprinting, to spatially position single or clustered cancer cells onto ex vivo microvascular networks containing blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and interstitial cell populations. Herein, we highlight this new model as a tool for quantifying cancer cell motility and effects on angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in an intact network that matches the complexity of a real tissue. Application of our proposed methodology offers an innovative ex vivo tissue perspective for evaluating the effects of gene expression and targeted molecular therapies on cancer cell migration and invasion. J. Cell. Physiol. 231: 2333-2338, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hope E. Burks
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
| | - Theresa B. Phamduy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
| | - Mohammad S. Azimi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
| | - Jayant Saksena
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
| | | | | | | | - Walter L. Murfee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
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36
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Marusyk A, Tabassum DP, Janiszewska M, Place AE, Trinh A, Rozhok AI, Pyne S, Guerriero JL, Shu S, Ekram M, Ishkin A, Cahill DP, Nikolsky Y, Chan TA, Rimawi MF, Hilsenbeck S, Schiff R, Osborne KC, Letai A, Polyak K. Spatial Proximity to Fibroblasts Impacts Molecular Features and Therapeutic Sensitivity of Breast Cancer Cells Influencing Clinical Outcomes. Cancer Res 2016; 76:6495-6506. [PMID: 27671678 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-16-1457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2016] [Revised: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Using a three-dimensional coculture model, we identified significant subtype-specific changes in gene expression, metabolic, and therapeutic sensitivity profiles of breast cancer cells in contact with cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF). CAF-induced gene expression signatures predicted clinical outcome and immune-related differences in the microenvironment. We found that fibroblasts strongly protect carcinoma cells from lapatinib, attributable to its reduced accumulation in carcinoma cells and an elevated apoptotic threshold. Fibroblasts from normal breast tissues and stromal cultures of brain metastases of breast cancer had similar effects as CAFs. Using synthetic lethality approaches, we identified molecular pathways whose inhibition sensitizes HER2+ breast cancer cells to lapatinib both in vitro and in vivo, including JAK2/STAT3 and hyaluronic acid. Neoadjuvant lapatinib therapy in HER2+ breast tumors lead to a significant increase of phospho-STAT3+ cancer cells and a decrease in the spatial proximity of proliferating (Ki67+) cells to CAFs impacting therapeutic responses. Our studies identify CAF-induced physiologically and clinically relevant changes in cancer cells and offer novel approaches for overcoming microenvironment-mediated therapeutic resistance. Cancer Res; 76(22); 6495-506. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andriy Marusyk
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts. .,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Doris P Tabassum
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,BBS Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Michalina Janiszewska
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Andrew E Place
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Children's Hospital, Boston, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Anne Trinh
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Andrii I Rozhok
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Saumyadipta Pyne
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jennifer L Guerriero
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Shaokun Shu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Muhammad Ekram
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Daniel P Cahill
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Neurosurgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Yuri Nikolsky
- Thomson Reuters Healthcare & Science, Encinitas, California
| | - Timothy A Chan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Mothaffar F Rimawi
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center and the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Susan Hilsenbeck
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center and the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Rachel Schiff
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center and the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Kent C Osborne
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center and the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Antony Letai
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kornelia Polyak
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts. .,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,BBS Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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37
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Regier MC, Alarid ET, Beebe DJ. Progress towards understanding heterotypic interactions in multi-culture models of breast cancer. Integr Biol (Camb) 2016; 8:684-92. [PMID: 27097801 PMCID: PMC4993016 DOI: 10.1039/c6ib00001k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Microenvironments in primary tumors and metastases include multiple cell types whose dynamic and reciprocal interactions are central to progression of the disease. However, the literature involving breast cancer studied in vitro is dominated by cancer cells in mono-culture or co-cultured with one other cell type. For in vitro studies of breast cancer the inclusion of multiple cell types has led to models that are more representative of in vivo behaviors and functions as compared to more traditional monoculture. Here, we review foundational co-culture techniques and their adaptation to multi-culture (including three or more cell types). Additionally, while macroscale methods involving conditioned media, direct contact, and indirect interactions have been informative, we examined many advances that have been made more recently using microscale systems with increased control over cellular and structural complexity. Throughout this discussion we consider the benefits and limitations of current multi-culture methods and the significant results they have produced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary C Regier
- Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
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38
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Ishii G, Ochiai A, Neri S. Phenotypic and functional heterogeneity of cancer-associated fibroblast within the tumor microenvironment. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2016; 99:186-196. [PMID: 26278673 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2015.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 309] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Revised: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 07/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Cancer microenvironment is created not only by malignant epithelial cells, but also by several kinds of stromal cells. Since Paget proposed the "seed and soil" hypothesis, the biological importance of the cancer microenvironment has come to be widely accepted. The main compartment of host stromal cells are fibroblasts (Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts; CAFs), which are the main source of the collagen-producing cells. CAFs directly communicate with the cancer cells and other types of stromal cells to acquire a specific biological phenotype. CAFs play important roles in several aspects of the tumor progression process and the chemotherapeutic process. However, CAFs have heterogeneous origins, phenotypes, and functions under these conditions. A crucial challenge is to understand how much of this heterogeneity serves different biological responses to cancer cells. In this review, we highlight the issue of how diverse and heterogeneous functions given by CAFs can exert potent influences on tumor progression and therapeutic response. Furthermore, we also discuss the current advances in the development of novel therapeutic strategies against CAFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genichiro Ishii
- Division of Pathology Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center National Cancer Center 6-5-1, Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa-City, Chiba 277-8577, Japan.
| | - Atsushi Ochiai
- Division of Pathology Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center National Cancer Center 6-5-1, Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa-City, Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Shinya Neri
- Division of Pathology Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center National Cancer Center 6-5-1, Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa-City, Chiba 277-8577, Japan
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39
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Egbowon BF, Harris W, Arnott G, Mills CL, Hargreaves AJ. Sub-lethal concentrations of CdCl2 disrupt cell migration and cytoskeletal proteins in cultured mouse TM4 Sertoli cells. Toxicol In Vitro 2016; 32:154-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2015.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Revised: 11/29/2015] [Accepted: 12/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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40
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Cozzo AJ, Sundaram S, Zattra O, Qin Y, Freemerman AJ, Essaid L, Darr DB, Montgomery SA, McNaughton KK, Ezzell JA, Galanko JA, Troester MA, Makowski L. cMET inhibitor crizotinib impairs angiogenesis and reduces tumor burden in the C3(1)-Tag model of basal-like breast cancer. SPRINGERPLUS 2016; 5:348. [PMID: 27057482 PMCID: PMC4799044 DOI: 10.1186/s40064-016-1920-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiologic studies have associated obesity with increased risk of the aggressive basal-like breast cancer (BBC) subtype. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) signaling through its receptor, cMET, is elevated in obesity and is a pro-tumorigenic pathway strongly associated with BBC. We previously reported that high fat diet (HFD) elevated HGF, cMET, and phospho-cMET in normal mammary gland, with accelerated tumor development, compared to low fat diet (LFD)-fed lean controls in a murine model of BBC. We also showed that weight loss resulted in a significant reversal of HFD-induced effects on latency and elevation of HGF/cMET signaling in normal mammary and cMET in normal mammary and tumors. Here, we sought to inhibit BBC tumor progression in LFD- and HFD-fed C3(1)-Tag BBC mice using a small molecule cMET inhibitor, and began crizotinib treatment (50 mg/kg body weight by oral gavage) upon identification of the first palpable tumor. We next investigated if administering crizotinib in a window prior to tumor development would inhibit or delay BBC tumorigenesis. Treatment: Crizotinib significantly reduced mean tumor burden by 27.96 and 37.29 %, and mean tumor vascularity by 35.04 and 33.52 %, in our LFD- and HFD-fed C3(1)-Tag BBC mice, respectively. Prevention: Crizotinib significantly accelerated primary tumor progression in both diet groups but had no effect on total tumor progression or total tumor burden. In sum, cMET inhibition by crizotinib limited tumor development and microvascular density in basal-like tumor-bearing mice but did not appear to be an effective preventive agent for BBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa J Cozzo
- Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA
| | - Sneha Sundaram
- Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA
| | - Ottavia Zattra
- Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA
| | - Yuanyuan Qin
- Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA
| | - Alex J Freemerman
- Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA
| | - Luma Essaid
- Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA
| | - David B Darr
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA
| | - Stephanie A Montgomery
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA
| | - Kirk K McNaughton
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA
| | - J Ashley Ezzell
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA
| | - Joseph A Galanko
- Nutrition Obesity Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA
| | - Melissa A Troester
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA.,Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA
| | - Liza Makowski
- Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA.,Nutrition Obesity Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA
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41
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Rijal G, Li W. 3D scaffolds in breast cancer research. Biomaterials 2016; 81:135-156. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2015.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2015] [Revised: 12/12/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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42
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Yeh CR, Slavin S, Da J, Hsu I, Luo J, Xiao GQ, Ding J, Chou FJ, Yeh S. Estrogen receptor α in cancer associated fibroblasts suppresses prostate cancer invasion via reducing CCL5, IL6 and macrophage infiltration in the tumor microenvironment. Mol Cancer 2016; 15:7. [PMID: 26790618 PMCID: PMC4721150 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-015-0488-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAF) play important roles in tumor growth that involves inflammation and epithelial cell differentiation. Early studies suggested that estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) was expressed in stromal cells in normal prostates and prostate cancer (PCa), but the detailed functions of stromal ERα in the PCa remain to be further elucidated. Methods Migration and invasion assays demonstrated the presence of high levels of ERα in CAF cells (CAF.ERα(+)) suppressed PCa invasion via influencing the infiltration of tumor associated macrophages. ERα decreased CAF CCL5 secretion via suppressing the CCL5 promoter activity was examined by luciferase assay. ERα decreased CCL5 and IL-6 expression in conditioned media that was collected from CAF cell only or CAF cell co-cultured with macrophages as measured by ELISA assay. Results Both in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated CAF.ERα(+) led to a reduced macrophage migration toward PCa via inhibiting CAF cells secreted chemokine CCL5. This CAF.ERα(+) suppressed macrophage infiltration affected the neighboring PCa cells invasion and the reduced invasiveness of PCa cells are at least partly due to reduced IL6 expression in the macrophages and CAF. Conclusion Our data suggest that CAF ERα could be applied as a prognostic marker to predict cancer progression, and targeting CCL5 and IL6 may be applied as an alternative therapeutic approach to reduce M2 type macrophages and PCa invasion in PCa patients with low or little ERα expression in CAF cells. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12943-015-0488-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiuan-Ren Yeh
- George Whipple Lab for Cancer Research, Departments of Urology and Pathology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Spencer Slavin
- George Whipple Lab for Cancer Research, Departments of Urology and Pathology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Jun Da
- George Whipple Lab for Cancer Research, Departments of Urology and Pathology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Iawen Hsu
- George Whipple Lab for Cancer Research, Departments of Urology and Pathology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Jie Luo
- George Whipple Lab for Cancer Research, Departments of Urology and Pathology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Guang-Qian Xiao
- Department of Pathology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Jie Ding
- George Whipple Lab for Cancer Research, Departments of Urology and Pathology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Fu-Ju Chou
- George Whipple Lab for Cancer Research, Departments of Urology and Pathology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Shuyuan Yeh
- George Whipple Lab for Cancer Research, Departments of Urology and Pathology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
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Blood Genome-Wide Transcriptional Profiles of HER2 Negative Breast Cancers Patients. Mediators Inflamm 2016; 2016:3239167. [PMID: 26884644 PMCID: PMC4738716 DOI: 10.1155/2016/3239167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Revised: 12/02/2015] [Accepted: 12/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumors act systemically to sustain cancer progression, affecting the physiological processes in the host and triggering responses in the blood circulating cells. In this study, we explored blood transcriptional patterns of patients with two subtypes of HER2 negative breast cancers, with different prognosis and therapeutic outcome. Peripheral blood samples from seven healthy female donors and 29 women with breast cancer including 14 triple-negative breast cancers and 15 hormone-dependent breast cancers were evaluated by microarray. We also evaluated the stroma in primary tumors. Transcriptional analysis revealed distinct molecular signatures in the blood of HER2− breast cancer patients according to ER/PR status. Our data showed the implication of immune signaling in both breast cancer subtypes with an enrichment of these processes in the blood of TNBC patients. We observed a significant alteration of “chemokine signaling,” “IL-8 signaling,” and “communication between innate and adaptive immune cells” pathways in the blood of TNBC patients correlated with an increased inflammation and necrosis in their primary tumors. Overall, our data indicate that the presence of triple-negative breast cancer is associated with an enrichment of altered systemic immune-related pathways, suggesting that immunotherapy could possibly be synergistic to the chemotherapy, to improve the clinical outcome of these patients.
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Oldenburg AL, Yu X, Gilliss T, Alabi O, Taylor RM, Troester MA. Inverse-power-law behavior of cellular motility reveals stromal-epithelial cell interactions in 3D co-culture by OCT fluctuation spectroscopy. OPTICA 2015; 2:877-885. [PMID: 26973862 PMCID: PMC4783137 DOI: 10.1364/optica.2.000877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The progression of breast cancer is known to be affected by stromal cells within the local microenvironment. Here we study the effect of stromal fibroblasts on the in-place motions (motility) of mammary epithelial cells within organoids in 3D co-culture, inferred from the speckle fluctuation spectrum using optical coherence tomography (OCT). In contrast to Brownian motion, mammary cell motions exhibit an inverse power-law fluctuation spectrum. We introduce two complementary metrics for quantifying fluctuation spectra: the power-law exponent and a novel definition of the motility amplitude, both of which are signal- and position-independent. We find that the power-law exponent and motility amplitude are positively (p<0.001) and negatively (p<0.01) correlated with the density of stromal cells in 3D co-culture, respectively. We also show how the hyperspectral data can be visualized using these metrics to observe heterogeneity within organoids. This constitutes a simple and powerful tool for detecting and imaging cellular functional changes with OCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L. Oldenburg
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3255
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7513
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7295
- Corresponding author:
| | - Xiao Yu
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3255
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7513
| | - Thomas Gilliss
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3255
| | - Oluwafemi Alabi
- Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3175
| | - Russell M. Taylor
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3255
- Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3175
| | - Melissa A. Troester
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7295
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7435
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Yamaguchi H, Sakai R. Direct Interaction between Carcinoma Cells and Cancer Associated Fibroblasts for the Regulation of Cancer Invasion. Cancers (Basel) 2015; 7:2054-62. [PMID: 26473929 PMCID: PMC4695876 DOI: 10.3390/cancers7040876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2015] [Revised: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor stroma acts as an essential microenvironment of the cancer cells, which includes many different types of non-cancerous cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Stromal fibroblasts (SFs) are the major cellular constituents of the tumor stroma and are often called cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). They are often characterized by α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) expression, which is indicative of the myofibroblast phenotype and strong contractility. These characteristics contribute to the remodeling and stiffening of the stromal ECM, thereby offering an appropriate field for cancer cell invasion. Importance of the tumor stroma in cancer progression has recently been highlighted. Moreover, several reports suggest that stromal fibroblasts interact with adjacent cancer cells through soluble factors, exosomes, or direct cell-cell adhesion to promote cancer cell invasion. In this review, current models of the regulation of cancer cell invasion by surrounding fibroblasts are summarized, including our recent work on the interaction between stromal fibroblasts and scirrhous gastric carcinoma (SGC) cells by using a three-dimensional (3D) culture system. Further mechanistic insights into the roles of the interaction between cancer cells and stromal fibroblasts in cancer invasion will be required to identify novel molecular targets for preventing cancer cell invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideki Yamaguchi
- Division of Refractory and Advanced Cancer, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan.
| | - Ryuichi Sakai
- Division of Refractory and Advanced Cancer, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan.
- Department of Biochemistry, Kitasato University School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0374, Japan.
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Sameni M, Tovar EA, Essenburg CJ, Chalasani A, Linklater ES, Borgman A, Cherba DM, Anbalagan A, Winn ME, Graveel CR, Sloane BF. Cabozantinib (XL184) Inhibits Growth and Invasion of Preclinical TNBC Models. Clin Cancer Res 2015; 22:923-34. [PMID: 26432786 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-15-0187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Accepted: 09/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive breast cancer subtype that is associated with poor clinical outcome. There is a vital need for effective targeted therapeutics for TNBC patients, yet treatment strategies are challenged by the significant intertumoral heterogeneity within the TNBC subtype and its surrounding microenvironment. Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) are highly expressed in several TNBC subtypes and are promising therapeutic targets. In this study, we targeted the MET receptor, which is highly expressed across several TNBC subtypes. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Using the small-molecule inhibitor cabozantinib (XL184), we examined the efficacy of MET inhibition in preclinical models that recapitulate human TNBC and its microenvironment. To analyze the dynamic interactions between TNBC cells and fibroblasts over time, we utilized a 3D model referred to as MAME (Mammary Architecture and Microenvironment Engineering) with quantitative image analysis. To investigate cabozantinib inhibition in vivo, we used a novel xenograft model that expresses human HGF and supports paracrine MET signaling. RESULTS XL184 treatment of MAME cultures of MDA-MB-231 and HCC70 cells (± HGF-expressing fibroblasts) was cytotoxic and significantly reduced multicellular invasive outgrowths, even in cultures with HGF-expressing fibroblasts. Treatment with XL184 had no significant effects on MET(neg) breast cancer cell growth. In vivo assays demonstrated that cabozantinib treatment significantly inhibited TNBC growth and metastasis. CONCLUSIONS Using preclinical TNBC models that recapitulate the breast tumor microenvironment, we demonstrate that cabozantinib inhibition is an effective therapeutic strategy in several TNBC subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansoureh Sameni
- Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Elizabeth A Tovar
- Center for Cancer and Cell Biology, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | - Curt J Essenburg
- Center for Cancer and Cell Biology, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | - Anita Chalasani
- Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Erik S Linklater
- Center for Cancer and Cell Biology, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | - Andrew Borgman
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | - David M Cherba
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | - Arulselvi Anbalagan
- Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Mary E Winn
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | - Carrie R Graveel
- Center for Cancer and Cell Biology, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
| | - Bonnie F Sloane
- Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan. Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
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LIN28A Modulates Splicing and Gene Expression Programs in Breast Cancer Cells. Mol Cell Biol 2015; 35:3225-43. [PMID: 26149387 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00426-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2015] [Accepted: 06/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
LIN28 is an evolutionarily conserved RNA-binding protein with critical functions in developmental timing and cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying LIN28's oncogenic properties are yet to be described. RNA-protein immunoprecipitation coupled with genome-wide sequencing (RIP-Seq) analysis revealed significant LIN28 binding within 843 mRNAs in breast cancer cells. Many of the LIN28-bound mRNAs are implicated in the regulation of RNA and cell metabolism. We identify heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 (hnRNP A1), a protein with multiple roles in mRNA metabolism, as a LIN28-interacting partner. Subsequently, we used a custom computational method to identify differentially spliced gene isoforms in LIN28 and hnRNP A1 small interfering RNA (siRNA)-treated cells. The results reveal that these proteins regulate alternative splicing and steady-state mRNA expression of genes implicated in aspects of breast cancer biology. Notably, cells lacking LIN28 undergo significant isoform switching of the ENAH gene, resulting in a decrease in the expression of the ENAH exon 11a isoform. The expression of ENAH isoform 11a has been shown to be elevated in breast cancers that express HER2. Intriguingly, analysis of publicly available array data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) reveals that LIN28 expression in the HER2 subtype is significantly different from that in other breast cancer subtypes. Collectively, our data suggest that LIN28 may regulate splicing and gene expression programs that drive breast cancer subtype phenotypes.
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Oh EY, Christensen SM, Ghanta S, Jeong JC, Bucur O, Glass B, Montaser-Kouhsari L, Knoblauch NW, Bertos N, Saleh SM, Haibe-Kains B, Park M, Beck AH. Extensive rewiring of epithelial-stromal co-expression networks in breast cancer. Genome Biol 2015; 16:128. [PMID: 26087699 PMCID: PMC4471934 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-015-0675-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epithelial-stromal crosstalk plays a critical role in invasive breast cancer pathogenesis; however, little is known on a systems level about how epithelial-stromal interactions evolve during carcinogenesis. RESULTS We develop a framework for building genome-wide epithelial-stromal co-expression networks composed of pairwise co-expression relationships between mRNA levels of genes expressed in the epithelium and stroma across a population of patients. We apply this method to laser capture micro-dissection expression profiling datasets in the setting of breast carcinogenesis. Our analysis shows that epithelial-stromal co-expression networks undergo extensive rewiring during carcinogenesis, with the emergence of distinct network hubs in normal breast, and estrogen receptor-positive and estrogen receptor-negative invasive breast cancer, and the emergence of distinct patterns of functional network enrichment. In contrast to normal breast, the strongest epithelial-stromal co-expression relationships in invasive breast cancer mostly represent self-loops, in which the same gene is co-expressed in epithelial and stromal regions. We validate this observation using an independent laser capture micro-dissection dataset and confirm that self-loop interactions are significantly increased in cancer by performing computational image analysis of epithelial and stromal protein expression using images from the Human Protein Atlas. CONCLUSIONS Epithelial-stromal co-expression network analysis represents a new approach for systems-level analyses of spatially localized transcriptomic data. The analysis provides new biological insights into the rewiring of epithelial-stromal co-expression networks and the emergence of epithelial-stromal co-expression self-loops in breast cancer. The approach may facilitate the development of new diagnostics and therapeutics targeting epithelial-stromal interactions in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun-Yeong Oh
- Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Cancer Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Stephen M Christensen
- Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Cancer Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Sindhu Ghanta
- Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Cancer Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Jong Cheol Jeong
- Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Cancer Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Octavian Bucur
- Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Cancer Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Benjamin Glass
- Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Cancer Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Laleh Montaser-Kouhsari
- Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Cancer Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Nicholas W Knoblauch
- Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Cancer Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Nicholas Bertos
- Goodman Cancer Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Sadiq Mi Saleh
- Goodman Cancer Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Benjamin Haibe-Kains
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada. .,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1L7, Canada.
| | - Morag Park
- Goodman Cancer Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Andrew H Beck
- Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Cancer Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
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49
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Characteristic Gene Expression Profiles of Human Fibroblasts and Breast Cancer Cells in a Newly Developed Bilateral Coculture System. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:960840. [PMID: 26171396 PMCID: PMC4480803 DOI: 10.1155/2015/960840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2014] [Revised: 05/27/2015] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The microenvironment of cancer cells has been implicated in cancer development and progression. Cancer-associated fibroblast constitutes a major stromal component of the microenvironment. To analyze interaction between cancer cells and fibroblasts, we have developed a new bilateral coculture system using a two-sided microporous collagen membrane. Human normal skin fibroblasts were cocultured with three different human breast cancer cell lines: MCF-7, SK-BR-3, and HCC1937. After coculture, mRNA was extracted separately from cancer cells and fibroblasts and applied to transcriptomic analysis with microarray. Top 500 commonly up- or downregulated genes were characterized by enrichment functional analysis using MetaCore Functional Analysis. Most of the genes upregulated in cancer cells were downregulated in fibroblasts while most of the genes downregulated in cancer cells were upregulated in fibroblasts, indicating that changing patterns of mRNA expression were reciprocal between cancer cells and fibroblasts. In coculture, breast cancer cells commonly increased genes related to mitotic response and TCA pathway while fibroblasts increased genes related to carbohydrate metabolism including glycolysis, glycogenesis, and glucose transport, indicating that fibroblasts support cancer cell proliferation by supplying energy sources. We propose that the bilateral coculture system using collagen membrane is useful to study interactions between cancer cells and stromal cells by mimicking in vivo tumor microenvironment.
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50
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Majety M, Pradel LP, Gies M, Ries CH. Fibroblasts Influence Survival and Therapeutic Response in a 3D Co-Culture Model. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0127948. [PMID: 26053043 PMCID: PMC4460080 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, evidence has indicated that the tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a significant role in tumor progression. Fibroblasts represent an abundant cell population in the TME and produce several growth factors and cytokines. Fibroblasts generate a suitable niche for tumor cell survival and metastasis under the influence of interactions between fibroblasts and tumor cells. Investigating these interactions requires suitable experimental systems to understand the cross-talk involved. Most in vitro experimental systems use 2D cell culture and trans-well assays to study these interactions even though these paradigms poorly represent the tumor, in which direct cell-cell contacts in 3D spaces naturally occur. Investigating these interactions in vivo is of limited value due to problems regarding the challenges caused by the species-specificity of many molecules. Thus, it is essential to use in vitro models in which human fibroblasts are co-cultured with tumor cells to understand their interactions. Here, we developed a 3D co-culture model that enables direct cell-cell contacts between pancreatic, breast and or lung tumor cells and human fibroblasts/ or tumor-associated fibroblasts (TAFs). We found that co-culturing with fibroblasts/TAFs increases the proliferation in of several types of cancer cells. We also observed that co-culture induces differential expression of soluble factors in a cancer type-specific manner. Treatment with blocking antibodies against selected factors or their receptors resulted in the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation in the co-cultures. Using our co-culture model, we further revealed that TAFs can influence the response to therapeutic agents in vitro. We suggest that this model can be reliably used as a tool to investigate the interactions between a tumor and the TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meher Majety
- Discovery Oncology, Roche Innovation Center Penzberg, Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Penzberg, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Leon P. Pradel
- Discovery Oncology, Roche Innovation Center Penzberg, Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Manuela Gies
- Discovery Oncology, Roche Innovation Center Penzberg, Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Carola H. Ries
- Discovery Oncology, Roche Innovation Center Penzberg, Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Penzberg, Germany
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