Cancer-associated fibroblasts in hepatocellular carcinoma

The hepatic stellate cells in the liver are stimulated sustainably by chronic injury of the hepatocytes, activating myofibroblasts, which produce abundant collagen. Myofibroblasts are the major source of extracellular proteins during fibrogenesis, and may directly, or secreted products, contribute to carcinogenesis and tumor progression. Cancer-associated fibroblasts(CAFs) are one of the components of the tumor microenvironment that promote the proliferation and invasion of cancer cells by secreting various growth factors and cytokines. CAFs crosstalk with cancer cells stimulates tumor progression by creating a favorable microenvironment for progression, invasion, and metastasis through the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Basic studies on CAFs have advanced, and the role of CAFs in tumors has been elucidated. In particular, for hepatocellular carcinoma, carcinogenesis from cirrhosis is a known fact, and participation of CAFs in carcinogenesis is supported. In this review, we discuss the current literature on the role of CAFs and CAF-related signaling in carcinogenesis, crosstalk with cancer cells, immunosuppressive effects, angiogenesis, therapeutic targets, and resistance to chemotherapy. The role of CAFs is important in cancer initiation and progression. CAF-targeted therapy may be effective for suppression not only of fibrosis but also cancer progression.

Role of cancer-associated fibroblasts in invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer

Cancer-associated fibroblasts(CAFs) are important components of various types of tumors,including gastric cancer(GC).During tumorigenesis and progression,CAFs play critical roles in tumor invasion and metastasis via a series of functions including extracellular matrix deposition,angiogenesis,metabolism reprogramming and chemoresistance.However,the mechanism of the interaction between gastric cancer cells and CAFs remains largely unknown.Micro RNAs(mi RNAs) are a class of non-coding small RNA molecules,and their expression in CAFs not only regulates the expression of a number of target genes but also plays an essential role in the communication between tumor cells and CAFs.In this review,we provide an overview of recent studies on CAF mi RNAs in GC and the relevant signaling pathways in gastrointestinal tumors.Focusing the attention on these signaling pathways may help us better understand their role in tumor invasion and metastasis and identify new molecular targets for therapeutic strategies.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts in digestive tumors

The significant influence of tumor stroma on malignant cells has been extensively investigated in this era of targeted therapy. The tumor microenvironment, as a dynamic system, is orchestrated by various cells including tumor vascular composing cells, inflammatory cells and fibroblasts. As a major and important component in tumor stroma, increasing evidence has shown that spindle-shaped cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a significant modifier of cancer evolution, and promote tumorigenesis, tumor invasion and metastasis by stimulating angiogenesis, malignant cell survival, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and proliferation via direct cell-to-cell contact or secretion of soluble factors in most digestive solid tumors. CAFs are thought to be activated, characterized by the expression of α-smooth muscle actin, fibroblast activated protein, fibroblast specific protein, vimentin, fibronectin, etc. They are hypothesized to originate from normal or aged fibroblasts, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal cells, or vascular endothelial cells. EMT may also be an important process generating CAFs, and most probably, CAFs may originate from multiple cells. A close link exists between EMT, tumor stem cells, and chemo-resistance of tumor cells, which is largely orchestrated by CAFs. CAFs significantly induce immunosuppression, and may be a prognostic marker in various malignancies. Targeted therapy toward CAFs has displayed promising anticancer efficacy, which further reinforces the necessity to explore the relationship between CAFs and their hosts.

Astragaloside Ⅳ inhibits pathological functions of gastric cancer-associated fibroblasts

AIM To investigate the inhibitory effect of astragaloside IV on the pathological functions of cancer-associated fibroblasts,and to explore the underlying mechanism.METHODS Paired gastric normal fibroblast(GNF) and gastric cancer-associated fibroblast(GCAF) cultures were established from resected tissues. GCAFs were treated with vehicle control or different concentrations of astragaloside Ⅳ. Conditioned media were prepared from GNFs,GCAFs,control-treated GCAFs,and astragaloside Ⅳ-treated GCAFs,and used to culture BGC-823 human gastric cancer cells. Proliferation,migration and invasion capacities of BGC-823 cells were determined by MTT,wound healing,and Transwell invasion assays,respectively. The action mechanism of astragaloside Ⅳ was investigated by detecting the expression of micro RNAs and the expression and secretion of the oncogenic factor,macrophage colonystimulating factor(M-CSF),and the tumor suppressive factor,tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2(TIMP2),in different groups of GCAFs. The expression of the oncogenic pluripotency factors SOX2 and NANOG in BGC-823 cells cultured with different conditioned media was also examined.RESULTS GCAFs displayed higher capacities to induce BGC-823 cell proliferation,migration,and invasion than GNFs(P < 0.01). Astragaloside Ⅳ treatment strongly inhibited the proliferation-,migration-and invasion-promoting capacities of GCAFs(P < 0.05 for 10 μmol/L,P < 0.01 for 20 μmol/L and 40 μmol/L). Compared with GNFs,GCAFs expressed a lower level of micro RNA-214(P < 0.01) and a higher level of micro RNA-301 a(P < 0.01). Astragaloside Ⅳ treatment significantly upregulated micro RNA-214 expression(P < 0.01) and down-regulated micro RNA-301 a expression(P < 0.01) in GCAFs. Reestablishing the micro RNA expression balance subsequently suppressed M-CSF production(P < 0.01) and secretion(P < 0.05),and elevated TIMP2 production(P < 0.01) and secretion(P < 0.05). Consequently,the ability of GCAFs to increase SOX2 and NANOG expression in BGC-823 cells was abolished by astragaloside Ⅳ.CONCLUSION Astragaloside Ⅳ can inhibit the pathological functions of GCAFs by correcting their dysregulation of micro RNA expression,and it is promisingly a potent therapeutic agent regulating tumor microenvironment.

Breast Cancer Associated Fibroblasts Promote MCF-7 Invasion in vitro by Secretion of HGF

This study was aimed to explore the influence of breast cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in migration and invasion of breast cancer cell line MCF-7,and investigate whether hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is involved in this process.Primary breast CAFs and their corresponding normal breast fi-broblasts (NFs) were obtained by collagenase digestion.On the basis of the co-culture,the migration and invasion capacity of MCF-7 cells was compared between CAFs and NFs by Transwell.The differ-ence in the HGF expression between them was detected by ELISA.The secretion of HGF was knocked down by using RNA interference technology in CAFs.Then the changes of migration and invasion ca-pacity of MCF-7 cells were investigated by Transwell.Eventually,we isolated high-purity CAFs and NFs,and the CAFs had a stronger ability in promoting MCF-7 migration and invasion than the NFs.ELISA results demonstrated that CAFs secreted higher HGF,and the capacity of MCF-7 migration and invasion was declined after knocking down the secretion of HGF in CAFs by RNA interference.It is suggested that CAFs can promote MCF-7 migration and invasion through HGF in vitro.

A novel GPCR mediates pancreatic cancer associated fibroblast-cancer cell interaction

OBJECTIVE Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC),a lethal cancer in need of new,effective therapies,has a unique tumor microenvironment characterized by a dense fibrotic stroma(desmoplasia)that is generated by pancreatic cancer-associated fibroblasts(PCAFs)derived from pancreatic stellate cells(PSCs)and pancreatic fibroblasts(PFs).METHEDS and RESULTS Hypothesizing that G protein-coupled receptors(GPCRs)may regulate PCAFs,we used an unbiased GPCRomic array approach to compare GPCR expression in PCAFs,PFs and PSCs and identified 82 GPCRs commonly expressed by PCAFs derived from primary tumors of five PDAC patients.We discovered that PCAFs have increased expression of numerous GPCRs,in particular a GPCR with much higher expression in PCAFs compared to both PFs and PSCs.Immunohistochemistry revealed increased expression of this GPCR in PDAC tumors.Co-culture of PSCs with PDAC cells or incubation with TNFαinduced its expression.Activation of the GPCR in PCAF sincreased expression of interleukin-6(IL-6)via a cA MP/PKA/CREB signaling pathway.GPCR knockdown with siR NA diminished IL-6 production and secretionby PCAFs and ability of PCAF conditioned media to enhance proliferation of PDAC cells.CONCLUSION We conclude that PDAC cells induce expression by PCAFs of a novel GPCR,resulting in increased IL-6 production by PCAFs and promotion of PDAC cell proliferation.This PCAF-expressed GPCR thus contributes to PDAC cell-PCAF interaction and as such,may be a novel therapeutic target for PDAC tumors.

Hematopoietic stem cell-derived adipocytes and fibroblasts in the tumor microenvironment

The tumor microenvironment(TME) is complex and constantly evolving. This is due, in part, to the crosstalk between tumor cells and the multiple cell types that comprise the TME, which results in a heterogeneous population of tumor cells and TME cells. This review will focus on two stromal cell types, the cancerassociated adipocyte(CAA) and the cancer-associated fibroblast(CAF). In the clinic, the presence of CAAs and CAFs in the TME translates to poor prognosis in multiple tumor types. CAAs and CAFs have an activated phenotype and produce growth factors, inflammatory factors, cytokines, chemokines, extracellular matrix components, and proteases in an accelerated and aberrant fashion. Through this activated state, CAAs and CAFs remodel the TME, thereby driving all aspects of tumor progression, including tumor growth and survival, chemoresistance, tumor vascularization, tumor invasion, and tumor cell metastasis. Similarities in the tumorpromoting functions of CAAs and CAFs suggest that a multipronged therapeutic approach may be necessary to achieve maximal impact on disease. While CAAs and CAFs are thought to arise from tissues adjacent to the tumor, multiple alternative origins for CAAs and CAFs have recently been identified. Recent studies from our lab and others suggest that the hematopoietic stem cell, through the myeloid lineage, may serve as a progenitor for CAAs and CAFs. We hypothesize that the multiple origins of CAAs and CAFs may contribute to the heterogeneity seen in the TME. Thus, a better understanding of the origin of CAAs and CAFs, how this origin impacts their functions in the TME, and thetemporal participation of uniquely originating TME cells may lead to novel or improved anti-tumor therapeutics.

Intensity of stromal changes is associated with tumor relapse in clinically advanced prostate cancer after castration therapy

Reactive stromal changes in prostate cancer （PCa） are likely involved in the emergence of castration-resistant PCa （CRPC）. This study was designed to investigate stromal changes in patients with clinically advanced PCa and analyze their prognostic significance. Prostate needle biopsies obtained from 148 patients before castration therapy were analyzed by Masson trichrome staining and immunohistochemical analysis of vimentin and desmin. Reactive stroma grading was inversely correlated with Gleason score. Stroma grade （Masson stain 82.8% vs 45.6%, P 〈 0.001） and vimentin expression （P = 0.005） were significantly higher, and desmin expression （P = 0.004） significantly lower, in reactive stroma of tumors with a Gleason score of 6-7 than in adjacent peritumoral tissue. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a significant association between reactive stroma grade in tumors and the occurrence of CRPC in patients with a Gleason score of 6-7 （P= 0.009）. Furthermore, patients with higher vimentin or lower desmin expression had a shorter disease-free period. In multivariate analysis, only vimentin expression was a significant predictor of tumor relapse （hazard ratio 1.78, 95% confidence interval 1.12-10.26, P = 0.012）. These findings indicate that the intensity of reactive stroma is associated with castration responsiveness, especially in patients with a lower Gleason score where the abundant stroma component is most frequently found. High expression of vimentin in tumor stroma was independently associated with poor outcomes in patients with Gleason scores of 6-7, and may serve as a new prognostic marker in daily practice.

二甲双胍阻断乳腺癌细胞-间质细胞的交互作用:基于抑制肿瘤相关成纤维细胞缺氧诱导因子-1α的表达

目的探讨二甲双胍(Met)对乳腺癌肿瘤-间质细胞交互作用的影响及机制。方法将肿瘤相关成纤维细胞(CAFs)与乳腺癌细胞共培养,运用二甲双胍进行干预,分为对照组和Met干预组,ELISA及RT-qPCR检测Met对CAFs中HIF-1α、p-AMPK、基质衍生因子-1(SDF-1)和白细胞介素-8(IL-8)等因子的表达变化以及Transwell检测肿瘤细胞侵袭能力的变化。运用外源性SDF-1、IL-8干预后,Transwell检测肿瘤细胞侵袭能力的变化。运用缺氧诱导因子-1α(HIF-1α)shRNA或过表达质粒调节CAFs-HIF-1α的表达,以及AMPK-shRNA抑制AMPK的表达,并运用OG和2-OXO调节脯氨酸羟化酶的表达,及运用外源性TGF-β1干预后,Western blot及RT-qPCR检测CAFs中p-AMPK、HIF-1α、SDF-1、IL-8的表达,Transwell检测肿瘤细胞侵袭能力的变化。结果相较于对照组,Met干预组中CAFs的p-AMPK、SDF-1和IL-8的表达水平升高(P<0.05),HIF-1α表达水平下降(P<0.05),AMPK的表达水平差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),Met组中乳腺癌细胞侵袭能力下降(P<0.05)。外源性SDF-1、IL-8干预可降低Met对乳腺癌细胞侵袭的抑制作用,增加乳腺癌细胞的侵袭能力(P<0.05)。过表达HIF-1α及运用脯氨酸羟化酶抑制剂OG提高HIF-1α的表达后,可降低Met对CAFs中HIF-1α、SDF-1及IL-8表达的抑制作用,并可降低Met对乳腺癌细胞侵袭的抑制作用(P<0.05);运用HIF-1α-shRNA及运用脯氨酸羟化酶激活剂2-OXO抑制HIF-1α的表达后,降低乳腺癌细胞的侵袭能力(P<0.05);运用AMPK-shRNA抑制p-AMPK的表达后,可降低Met对CAFs中HIF-1α表达的抑制作用,并可降低Met对乳腺癌细胞侵袭的抑制作用(P<0.05);加入外源性TGF-β1后,可部分降低Met对CAFs中HIF-1α表达的抑制作用,并可部分降低Met对乳腺癌细胞侵袭的抑制作用(P<0.05)。结论Met通过抑制CAFs-HIF-1α的表达进而发挥阻断乳腺癌细胞-间质细胞交互作用。

Paeoniflorin Inhibits Migration-and Invasion-Promoting Capacities of Gastric Cancer Associated Fibroblasts

Objective: To investigate the inhibitory effects of paeoniflorin on migration- and invasionpromoting capacities of gastric cancer associated fibroblasts (GCAFs) and to explore the molecular mechanism underlying the effects. Methods: Paired gastric normal fibroblast (GNF) and GCAF cultures were established from resected tissues. GCAFs were treated with control medium, or 2.5, 5 or 10 μg/mL paeoniflorin. Conditioned media were prepared from GNFs, GCAFs, control-treated GCAFs and paeoniflorin-treated GCAFs, and used to culture AGS human gastric cancer cells. The migration and invasion capacities of AGS cells were determined with wound healing test and transwell invasion assay, respectively. The interleukin 6 (IL-6) mRNA and microRNA-149 expression in GCAFs were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The IL-6 protein expression and secretion by GCAFs were measured with Western blot and enzymelinked immunosorbent assay analysis, respectively. The protein levels of phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and MMP9 in AGS cells were examined by Western blot. Results: GCAFs displayed enhanced capacities to induce AGS cell migration and invasion as compared with GNFs. Paeoniflorin treatment significantly inhibited the migration- and invasion-promoting capacities of GCAFs (P<0.05). GCAFs produced and secreted more IL-6 into the conditioned medium than GNFs, leading to over-activation of STAT3-MMP signaling in AGS cells. Paeoniflorin suppressed IL-6 production and secretion by up-regulating microRNA149 expression in GCAFs, and subsequently prevented GCAFs from activating IL-6-STAT3-MMP signaling of AGS cells. Conclusions: Paeoniflorin inhibits the migration- and invasion-promoting capacities of GCAFs by targeting microRNA-149 and IL-6. Paeoniflorin is potentially a novel therapeutic agent against cancer microenvironment.

Tumor–stromal cross-talk modulating the therapeutic response in pancreatic cancer

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC) is a highly malignant solid tumor with a dismal prognosis. The stroma component makes up to 90% of the tumor mass and is thought to be one of the main reasons for the tumor’s high chemoresistance. Cancer associated fibroblasts(CAFs) have previously been identified to be the key stromal players. This is the first time we provide detailed in vitro experiments investigating tumor–stromal interactions when exposed to three well-known chemotherapeutic agents. Methods: Monocultures, indirect and direct co-cultures of two PDAC cell lines(AsPC and Panc-1) and six primary patients derived CAFs were treated with gemcitabine, nab-paclitaxel and the γ-secretaseinhibitor(GSI) DAPT. The cell viability of each component was measured with XTT. Finally, IL-6 concentrations of the supernatants were analyzed. Results: On the contrary to PDAC cell lines, CAF monocultures hardly responded to any treatment which suggested that stroma(CAFs) itself is more resistant to standard chemo-treatments than the epithelial cancer cells. Moreover, only a weak chemotherapeutic response was observed in direct co-cultures of cancer cells with CAFs. A change in the morphology of direct co-cultures was accompanied with the chemoresistance. CAFs were observed to build cage-like structures around agglomerates of tumor cells. High levels of IL-6 were also associated with a reduced response to therapy. Indirect co-cultures make the tumor–stromal interaction more complex. Conclusions: CAFs are highly chemoresistant. Direct cell–cell contact and high levels of IL-6 correlate with a high chemoresistance.

Breast cancer-associated fibroblasts： their roles in tumor nitiation, progression and clinical applications

Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in women, and the incidence of this disease has increased in recent years because of changes in diet, living environment, gestational age, and other unknown factors. Previous studies focused on cancer cells, but an increasing number of recent studies have analyzed the contribution of cancer microenvironment to the initiation and progression of breast cancer. Cancer-associated libroblasts （CAFs）, the most abundant cells in tumor stroma, secrete various active biomolecules, including extraceHular matrix components, growth factors, cytokines, proteases, and hormones. CAFs not only facilitate the initiation, growth, angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis of cancer but also serve as biomarkers in the clinical diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis of breast cancer. In this article, we reviewed the literature and summarized the research findings on CAFs in breast cancer.

肿瘤相关成纤维细胞中微小RNA-214-3p表达对卵巢癌细胞顺铂敏感性的影响

目的探讨肿瘤相关成纤维细胞(CAFs)中微小RNA-214-3p(miR-214-3p)表达对卵巢癌细胞顺铂敏感性的影响及其作用机制。方法选取64例卵巢癌患者作为研究对象,根据化疗后无进展生存期分为铂部分敏感组和铂敏感组,采用实时荧光定量聚合酶链反应(qRT-PCR)检测2组患者卵巢癌组织中miR-214-3p相对表达量,比较不同临床特征患者的2年生存率;原代培养CAFs及正常卵巢成纤维细胞(NFs),采用qRT-PCR、免疫荧光实验检测CAFs和NFs中miR-214-3p、p62蛋白表达;通过CSIOVDB数据库检索SQSTM1基因在不同种类卵巢细胞中的表达水平;向CAFs瞬时转染miR-214-3p mimic(mimic组)和miR-214-3p mimic NC(NC组),将未转染CAFs设为对照组;留取各组细胞培养上清,建立卵巢癌细胞SKOV3与各组CAFs间接共培养模型,采用CCK-8法、DCFH-DA法、qRT-PCR及免疫印迹法分别检测不同培养条件下SKOV3细胞增殖率、顺铂半数抑制浓度(IC 50)、细胞活性氧(ROS)含量和miR-214-3p、顺铂耐药基因CCND1、自噬蛋白p62相对表达量。结果铂部分敏感组患者的miR-214-3p相对表达量低于铂敏感组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01);不同国际妇产科联盟(FIGO)分期、铂部分敏感情况、miR-214-3p低表达情况患者的2年生存率比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01);卵巢CAFs中miR-214-3p相对表达量低于NFs,p62蛋白表达水平高于NFs,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01);CSIOVDB数据库在线分析显示,卵巢癌CAFs中的SQSTM1基因表达水平高于卵巢癌上皮细胞、NFs,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01);相较于与对照组CAFs、NC组CAFs间接共培养的SKOV3细胞,与mimic组CAFs间接共培养的SKOV3细胞的增殖率、顺铂IC 50、ROS含量降低,miR-214-3p相对表达量升高,CCND1mRNA和p62蛋白相对表达量降低,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。结论CAFs中miR-214-3p表达与卵巢癌细胞对顺铂的敏感性相关,CAFs中miR-214-3p低表达可促进卵巢癌细胞增殖及ROS介导的自噬,进而降低卵巢癌细胞对顺铂的敏感性。

Next-generation sequencing traces human induced pluripotent stem cell lines clonally generated from heterogeneous cancer tissue

AIM To investigate genotype variation among induced pluripotent stem cell(iPSC) lines that were clonally generated from heterogeneous colon cancer tissues using next-generation sequencing. METHODS Human iPSC lines were clonally established by selecting independent single colonies expanded from heterogeneous primary cells of S-shaped colon cancer tissues by retroviral gene transfer(OCT3/4, SOX2, and KLF4). The ten iPSC lines, their starting cancer tissues, and the matched adjacent non-cancerous tissues were analyzed using nextgeneration sequencing and bioinformatics analysis using the human reference genome hg19. Non-synonymous single-nucleotide variants(SNVs)(missense, nonsense,and read-through) were identified within the target region of 612 genes related to cancer and the human kinome. All SNVs were annotated using dbS NP135, CCDS, RefSeq, GENCODE, and 1000 Genomes. The SNVs of the iPSC lines were compared with the genotypes of the cancerous and non-cancerous tissues. The putative genotypes were validated using allelic depth and genotype quality. For final confirmation, mutated genotypes were manually curated using the Integrative Genomics Viewer. RESULTS In eight of the ten iPSC lines, one or two non-synonymous SNVs in EIF2AK2, TTN, ULK4, TSSK1 B, FLT4, STK19, STK31, TRRAP, WNK1, PLK1 or PIK3R5 were identified as novel SNVs and were not identical to the genotypes found in the cancer and non-cancerous tissues. This result suggests that the SNVs were de novo or pre-existing mutations that originated from minor populations, such as multifocal pre-cancer(stem) cells or pre-metastatic cancer cells from multiple, different clonal evolutions, present within the heterogeneous cancer tissue. The genotypes of all ten iPSC lines were different from the mutated ERBB2 and MKNK2 genotypes of the cancer tissues and were identical to those of the noncancerous tissues and that found in the human reference genome hg19. Furthermore, two of the ten iPSC lines did not have any confirmed mutated genotypes, despite being derived from cancerous tissue. These results suggest that the traceability and preference of the starting single cells being derived from pre-cancer(stem) cells, stroma cells such as cancer-associated fibroblasts, and immune cells that co-existed in the tissues along with the mature cancer cells.CONCLUSION The genotypes of iPSC lines derived from heterogeneous cancer tissues can provide information on the type of starting cell that the iPSC line was generated from.

Lack of Association between Polymorphisms in rs2981582, rs2420946, rs17102287, rs1219648, rs2981578, and rs17542768 Sites of FGFR2 Gene with Breast Cancer in the Population of Kazakhstan

Worldwide, breast cancer (BC) is the most common invasive cancer in women. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) is a tyrosine kinase receptor that is a member of the family of individually distinct fibroblast growth factor receptors involved in tumorigenesis. FGFR2 gene is amplified and over expressed in breast cancer (1 - 3). The aim of the study was to determine whether polymorphisms in rs2981582, rs2420946, rs17102287, rs1219648, rs2981578, and rs17542768 in FGFR2 gene are associated with breast cancer susceptibility in the population of Kazakhstan. The statistically significant associations between SNPs analyzed and breast cancer risk according χ2 and p < 0.05 criterions were not evaluated. The information describing the association of SNPs in FGFR2 with BC risk in the world populations could not be unambiguously used for Kazakhstan population.

脂多糖调控肿瘤相关成纤维细胞TLR4/NF-κB通路促进结肠癌细胞上皮间充质转化的研究

目的探讨肿瘤相关成纤维细胞(CAFs)通过TLR4/NF-κB通路对结肠癌细胞上皮间充质转化的影响。方法建立结肠癌细胞和CAFs细胞共培养模型,以结肠癌细胞为对照组,共培养模型和脂多糖(LPS,15μg/ml)干预共培养模型为实验组,Transwell实验观察结肠癌细胞的迁移情况;免疫荧光检测CAFs细胞中α-SMA、FAP和VEGF表达情况;Western blotting和RT-PCR分别检测CAFs细胞中TLR4、MyD88、NF-κB以及结肠癌细胞中E-cadherin、N-cadherin和Vimentin蛋白和mRNA表达情况。结果CAFs细胞和结肠癌细胞共培养模型可以促进结肠癌细胞的迁移,提高了α-SMA、FAP在CAFs细胞中表达;结肠癌细胞的迁移与CAFs细胞中TLR4/NF-κB通路的激活有关,该通路激活后提高CAFs细胞中VEGF的表达,进一步促进结肠癌细胞EMT,增加癌细胞的迁移侵袭能力。结论CAFs可促进结肠癌细胞的迁移,其机制可能与TLR4/NF-κB通路激活有关,CAFs表达VEGF细胞因子,从而促进结肠癌细胞上皮间充质转化。

TGF-β对膀胱癌组织中巨噬细胞来源肿瘤相关成纤维细胞的影响及其机制

目的探讨TGF-β对膀胱癌组织中巨噬细胞来源肿瘤相关成纤维细胞(CAF)的影响及其机制。方法采用Kaplan-Meier法分析膀胱癌组织中α-SMA^(+)CD68^(+)CAF表达水平与患者的总生存率(OS)的关系;采用免疫荧光技术检测α-SMA^(+)CD68^(+)CAF在膀胱癌组织中的浸润情况;采用Western blot实验检测TGF-β对α-SMA^(+)CD68^(+)CAF体外诱导作用。同时构建膀胱癌小鼠模型,采用免疫荧光技术和免疫组化法检测TGF-β对膀胱癌小鼠体内α-SMA^(+)CD68^(+)CAF的诱导作用及对CD8^(+)T细胞浸润的影响。结果膀胱癌组织中α-SMA与CD68的表达呈正相关,且α-SMA^(+)CD68^(+)CAF高表达的患者预后更差(χ^(2)=9.05,P<0.05)。免疫荧光技术检测结果显示,膀胱癌组织中存在α-SMA^(+)CD68^(+)CAF。Western blot实验检测结果显示,TGF-β可显著促进α-SMA^(+)CD68^(+)CAF的生成。膀胱癌小鼠模型体内实验显示,TGF-β可促进膀胱癌组织中α-SMA^(+)CD68^(+)CAF的生成,从而抑制CD8^(+)T细胞的浸润。结论TGF-β可显著促进膀胱癌组织中巨噬细胞来源CAF的生成,从而抑制CD8^(+)T细胞的浸润。

普列克底物蛋白2/miR-196a信号轴介导肿瘤微环境中肺癌细胞的通讯机制研究

背景与目的:阐明介导肿瘤相关成纤维细胞(cancer-associated fibroblasts,CAFs)与肿瘤细胞之间通讯的信号分子仍然是一个巨大的挑战,这些信号分子对癌症转移至关重要。本研究旨在探讨普列克底物蛋白2(pleckstrin-2,PLEK2)/miR-196a信号轴介导肿瘤微环境中肺癌细胞的通讯机制。方法:选择人肺腺癌细胞系H1299和人胚胎肺细胞MRC-5作为研究对象。用表达PLEK2的慢病毒(PLEK2)和载体对照(Vector)转染H1299细胞,并在转染24 h后分离外泌体(Vector_exo、PLEK2_exo)。采用miR-196a模拟物或抑制剂转染MRC-5细胞。通过蛋白质印迹法(Western blot)分析PLEK2和上皮-间充质转化(epithelial-mesenchymal transition,EMT)相关蛋白水平,采用聚合酶链反应(polymerase chain reaction,PCR)分析miR-196a表达,采用transwell实验测定细胞转移和侵袭能力。将6只雌性BALB/c-nu小鼠随机分为Vector组和PLEK2组,每组3只。通过尾静脉向各组小鼠注射转染Vector或PLEK2的H1299细胞。4周后,取出肺组织进行H-E染色和免疫组织化学染色分析α-平滑肌肌动蛋白(α-smooth muscle actin,α-SMA)表达。所有动物实验均经长沙市第一医院(中南大学湘雅医学院附属长沙医院)伦理委员会批准(伦理编号为EI-2021-103)。结果:与Vector组相比,PLEK2组小鼠肺结节数和转移灶中α-SMA表达显著增加(P<0.001)。与Vector组相比,PLEK2组H1229细胞中miR-196a表达水平显著增加(P<0.05),并且PLEK2_exo中miR-196a表达水平显著高于Vector_exo(P<0.05)。与Vector_exo组相比,PLEK2_exo组MRC-5细胞中miR-196a、α-SMA和成纤维细胞活化蛋白(fibroblast activation protein,FAP)表达水平显著增加(P<0.05)。与阴性对照(negative control,NC)相比,miR-196a转染的MRC-5细胞中α-SMA和FAP表达水平显著增加(P<0.05)。相反,通过miR-196a抑制剂(si-miR-196a#1、si-miR-196a#)转染,α-SMA和FAP表达水平被显著抑制(P<0.05)。与NC-CM组相比,miR-196a-CM组H1299细胞的转移、侵袭细胞数和波形蛋白(vimentin)表达均显著增加(P<0.001),E-钙黏蛋白(E-cadherin)表达显著降低(P<0.001)。此外,与Vector_exo-CM组相比,PLEK2_exo-CM组H1299细胞的转移、侵袭细胞数和vimentin表达均显著增加(P<0.01),E-cadherin表达显著降低(P<0.001)。结论:PLEK2上调能够增强肺癌细胞来源的外泌体miR-196a水平,从而促进CAFs激活。激活的CAFs能够进一步增强肺癌细胞的侵袭能力。

肿瘤相关成纤维细胞上调hsa-miR-18b-5p靶向FBXL3促进前列腺癌的增殖及转移

目的探讨受肿瘤相关成纤维细胞(CAFs)调控的hsa-miR-18b-5p在前列腺癌(PCa)中的表达水平及作用,并研究对其在PCa发生发展过程中的分子机制。方法利用生物信息学技术分析在PCa中高表达的miRNA,构建肿瘤相关成纤维细胞并与PCa细胞系共培养,验证CAFs对PCa细胞增殖和迁移的影响及对hsa-miR-18b-5p的调控作用;RT-qPCR验证20例患者癌组织及癌旁正常组织、前列腺正常上皮增生细胞及PCa各细胞系中hsa-miR-18b-5p的表达水平;通过脂质体法将阴性对照及hsamiR-18b-5p抑制物分别转染入PCa细胞C4-2、LNCAP中,分为NC inhibitor组和hsa-miR-18b-5p inhibitor组;采用细胞集落形成、CCK-8实验、划痕愈合、Transwell、IC_(50)实验、流式细胞术分别检测C4-2、LNCAP细胞增殖、迁移、侵袭、耐药能力、凋亡和周期;建立PCa裸鼠移植瘤模型,定期测量移植瘤的质量和体积,Kaplan-Meier生存曲线分析裸鼠生存情况;利用靶基因预测分析网站(Targetscan、Mirtarbase、miRDB、miRDIP)预测has-miR-18b-5p的靶基因,并通过双荧光素酶报告基因分析验证hsa-miR-18b-5p与靶基因的靶向关系,RT-qPCR、Western blotting检测各组细胞靶基因的表达水平。结果生物信息学分析结果显示,在PCa中高表达的miRNA有17个,结合差异表达程度以及相关文献筛选出拟研究的基因:miR-148a、miR-17、miR-18b-5p、miR-770、miR-297-3p。CAFs与PCa细胞系共培养后hsa-miR-18b-5p的表达水平升高(P<0.01),且促进PCa细胞的增殖与迁移(P<0.01),敲除has-miR-18b-5p可抵消CAFs对PCa细胞增殖及迁移的影响,确定has-miR-18b-5p为研究基因。与正常前列腺上皮细胞或肿瘤旁组织相比,PCa细胞或肿瘤组织中hsa-miR-18b-5p的表达升高(P<0.05);敲除hsa-miR-18b-5p可抑制C4-2、LNCAP细胞的增殖、迁移、侵袭以及耐药(P<0.05);敲除hsa-miR-18b-5p可抑制裸鼠移植瘤质量和体积的增长,增加裸鼠的生存时间(P<0.05)。靶基因预测分析网站显示,FBXL3是hsa-miR-18b-5p的一个潜在作用靶点,双荧光素酶报告基因证实has-miR-18b-5p与FBXL3基因间存在结合位点,且敲除hsa-miR-18b-5p可增加C4-2、LNCAP细胞中FBXL3的蛋白表达(P<0.05)。结论CAFs上调前列腺癌细胞hsa-miR-18b-5p的表达水平,后者可能通过靶向调控FBXL3基因的表达促进PCa细胞的增殖和转移。

癌症相关成纤维细胞外囊泡携带miRNA-95促进卵巢癌侵袭和迁移的机制研究

目的 探讨癌症相关成纤维细胞(cancer-associated fibroblasts, CAFs)衍生的外外泌体miRNA-95对卵巢癌细胞迁移和侵袭的影响。方法 从卵巢癌患者肿瘤和邻近癌旁组织的样本中采集正常组织相关成纤维细胞(NFs)癌症和CAFs。Western blot、透射电镜对细胞衍生的外体进行表征。qRT-PCR评估miRNA-95的表达,Transwell评估卵巢癌细胞迁移和侵袭,Hoechst染色监测肿瘤细胞的凋亡率。结果 CAFs和NFs的外泌体均能进入卵巢癌症细胞,CAFs-源性外泌体对卵巢癌细胞迁移和侵袭的促进作用大于NFs-源外泌体外泌体。此外,miRNA-95在CAFs衍生的外泌体中上调,CAFs源性的外囊泡miRNA-95促进卵巢癌细胞的迁移和侵袭,并诱导上皮间质转化。结论 CAFs衍生的外泌体miRNA-95可以促进卵巢癌细胞的迁移、侵袭和转移;靶向CAFs衍生的外泌体miRNA-95可能是克服卵巢癌进展的潜在治疗选择。